A Comparative Perspective

1. 8 A Comparative Perspective

2. Transnational Organized Crime • Organized Crime Groups increasing collaborate and cooperate in a systematic manner. • Rooted in local conditions but with transnational impact. • Major issues: • Government Explanation for Crime (and their inability to stop it). • Increased political corruption. • Media – Sensational / Ratings

3. International Changes and Organized Crime • International Trade and Criminal Organizations “Open Borders” • Growth of free trade. • Gradual elimination of tariffs and restrictive covenants. • Explosive growth in import and export markets.

4. International Changes and Organized Crime • Computer and Communications Technology:

5. International Changes and Organized Crime • “Global Village” (1960s) • Instantanious Movement • Social / Political Function • T.V. • Lead to Globalization of trade.

6. International Changes and Organized Crime • International Transportation and Criminal Organizations: • Steam ship to rail road to aircraft. • International Trade and Criminal Organizations

7. International Changes and Organized Crime • Computer and Communications Technology and Criminal Organizations: • International Banking and Investments. • Electronic fund transfers • Encryption technology (Sat Comm) • Signal interceptors

8. International Changes and Organized Crime • International Financial Networks and Criminal Organizations. • Globalization and the “Consumption Society”

9. Strategic Alliances and Modern Organized Crime • Two ways to increase profits in business: • Gain entrance to new markets. • Expand market share in existing markets. • Local groups have a better knowledge of local conditions. • Therefore, form strategic alliances.

10. Strategic Alliances and Modern Organized Crime • Strategic alliances are rational responses to the emergence of the global market. • Useful as mechanisms to neutralize and/or co-opt potential competitors in a market. • Effective methods of circumventing restrictions, regulations, and barriers to markets. (Willingness to break the law.)

11. Strategic Alliances and Modern Organized Crime • Franchise alliance • Anchored by stable criminal organizations that do business with several smaller, independent, local criminal organizations. • Compensatory alliance • Two criminal organizations recognize that each acting alone has weakness.

12. Strategic Alliances and Modern Organized Crime • Specialization alliance • One criminal organization seeks alliance with another to fulfill needs for specialized tasks that are beyond the purview and abilities of the first organization.

13. Strategic Alliances and Modern Organized Crime • Specialization alliance • South American Drug Cartels are the best example. • Production / Manufacturing • Transportation (export) • Wholesale (import) • Distribution Transportation • Retail sales

14. Strategic Alliances and Modern Organized Crime • Countertrade alliance • Simple exchange relationships between criminal organizations in which goods or services are exchanged for other goods or services.

15. Strategic Alliances and Modern Organized Crime • Supplier alliance • Involves regularized relationships between various suppliers of basic raw materials and organizations that transform these materials into consumer products. • Common in the drug trade.

16. Undermining Civil Society • Undermining State Legitimacy • Nations with severe economic problems are perfect targets for organized crime: • Week Central Governments. • Corrupted Governments. • Little or no Border Regulation. • Poor Economies • Week or No Infrastructure. (Roads, Water, Sewer, Schools, Hospitals)

17. Undermining Civil Society • States within States • Government authority is weak, powerful criminal organizations may see themselves as the legitimate political authority. • States want control and criminal organizations want autonomy.

18. Future Trends Affecting Criminal Organizations • Economics of Production • For poor farmers, choosing to grow drugs makes great economic sense. • Higher profit yield. • “Protection”

19. Modern Day Drug Trafficking • Golden Triangle • Colombian Cocaine Trafficking • Medellin Cartel • Innovative Wholesaling Structure • Current Changes in Columbia

20. The Growing Role of Mexican Drug Trafficking • The Gulf Cartel • Cartel imposes taxes on anyone transporting narcotics • Los Zetas • Enforcement branch of Gulf Cartel • The Sinaloa Cartel • Smuggles cocaine and large amounts of heroin

21. The Growing Role of Mexican Drug Trafficking • The Juarez Cartel • Influential drug trafficking organization • The Tijuana Cartel • Based in Tijuana, CA • The Sonora Cartel • One of the oldest and most established cartels

22. Official Corruption in Mexico • Mexican cartels advance their operations by: • Corruption • Torture • Murder • kidnapping

23. Developing Transnational Criminal Organization • Chinese Organized Crime • Triads, Tongs, and Chinese Street gangs operating in US deflect most law enforcement efforts to control their activities

24. The Japanese Yakuza • Among the most powerful and largest of the world's many organized crime confederations • Used to supply or support criminal enterprises internal to Japan

25. African Organized Crime • Conflicts and inefficiency in law enforcement contribute to organized crime. • Issues relating to organized crime facing Africa: • Economic instability • Political corruption • Absence of strong indigenous markets, particularly in drugs.

26. Arms Trafficking • Has increased substantially in Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. • Livestock commonly exchanged for firearms. • Unstable political conditions.