Defining Organized Crime
There’s a great deal of discussion about what organized crime is and isn’t. A quick review of the literature, however, reveals that determining what it is precisely is more difficult than one might imagine. How ever you decide to label it, one thing is certain: the fictionalized Hollywood fantasy of organized crime is far from the truth. The reality is far more complex.
Organizations are increasingly fluid and they cooperate across borders, national as well as international. Illegal goods and services constitute a major area of focus for criminal activity, however, criminal organizations will move in and operate wherever there is money to be made. The bottom line is that these increasingly elusive organizations are making billions and perhaps trillions of dollars every year.
Every year, countless lives are lost as a result of organized crime. Drug-related health problems and violence, firearm deaths, and the unscrupulous methods and motives of human traffickers, credit card fraudsters, and migrant smugglers are all a part of this.
Basic Characteristics of Organized Crime
Devoid of Political Goals
Hierarchical
Limited/Exclusive Membership
Unique Subculture
Perpetuates Itself
Willing to Use Illegal Violence
Monopolistic
Governed by Explicit Rules and Regulations
Transnational Organized Crime
Transnational organized crime is a widespread global security problem. That fact that it operates so deep in the shadows means that it is often overlooked. As our world continues to become increasingly more globalized, opportunities for transnational organized crime have increased and have become more integrated into the global political economy.
Transnational criminal organizations are defined as groups of individuals who wish to achieve gains in power, influence, or money through illegal means. Advancements in technology, travel, international trade and finance, among others have allowed criminal organizations to become more active, more extensive, and more diverse, both within states and across international borders. Transnational organized crime creates detrimental security problems affecting public safety, health, democratic institutions, economic stability, and exacerbating violent conflict. In the summaries below, a few of the most significant activities of transnational organized crime are divided into three areas: drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering.
Drug Trafficking
Drug cartels have become serious transnational criminal organizations that have been responsible for increases in drug trafficking never seen before. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), drug trafficking is defined as the global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, and sale of illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine, opium, ecstasy, etc. Drug trafficking has been shown to be correlated with overdose deaths, weak border security, community faults, and distrust between states and their allies. Therefore, organizations like the UNODC, the RAND Corporation, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) have analyzed data and compiled various publications regarding drug trafficking trends in order to find the roots of these drug trades and combat these illicit drug challenges.
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is the transnational organized crime of trading and exploiting human beings for profit, whether it be for sex, entertainment, forced labor, or worse. Victims of human trafficking can range from any age, any gender, and can come from any part of the world. The UNODC’s 2020 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons reported that in 2018, around 50,000 victims of human trafficking were detected within 148 countries. Additionally, human traffickers typically tend to use the threat of force, deception, or coercion to trick their victims into being trafficked. Through spreading awareness and providing education, the UNODC, The Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC), and the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) have created various tools and resources to fight against the threat of human trafficking.
Money Laundering
Money laundering is another form of transnational organized crime that has yet to be resolved. Transnational criminal organizations frequently use money laundering to cover up their illicit proceeds by making it appear as if their money was legally obtained. By doing so, transnational criminal groups can enjoy their profits and expand their organizations while remaining undetected from authorities. The UNODC estimates that approximately $2 trillion dollars of these proceeds are laundered every year, many of which are frequently used to fund terrorist organizations. In order to stop funding these transnational criminal organizations, countries need to enforce stricter policies on anti-money laundering, improve their methods in monitoring illicit money trades, raise public awareness, and much more.
For more on this, refer to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), RAND Corporation, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP), the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), and the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC), as they have all published information that provide more detail on these illicit finances.
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