Transnational Organized Crime

According to Jay Albanese organized crime is a continuing criminal enterprise that is rationally working to produce profit through illicit activities based on demand, where its existence is kept through force, threats, and corruption (Albanese 2004). When looking at transnational organized crime, we are looking at crimes that involve crossing national borders and individuals who work within more than one country to complete illicit business endeavors. I argue that political and systemic issues as well as outside influences leave weaker governed countries more exposed to the risks of transnational organized crime. I will be exploring four different areas related to this topic in order to understand why these countries experience an abundance of transnational crime; how it has become available through globalization, whereby the world has become an increasingly smaller place; factors that allow for countries to become more susceptible to criminal activity; the international moral panic that allows for policy control and global influence; and a link between organized crime and terrorism and its use to larger countries. This is an important topic because as the world shrinks our connection to one another grows and the influence one faces may cause repercussions upon all of us one day.

The world is becoming an increasingly smaller place and through the efforts of individuals who wish to participate in illicit acts and business we are discovering that technology provides new opportunities and benefits for their illicit businesses (Williams 2002). I use the term globalization in reference to the ability we now have to quickly communicate and voyage within a global context. With the advent of globalization these experiences have be...

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...e?" Trends in Organized Crime 8.3 (2005): 63-83.

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Rothe, Dawn, and Stephen L. Muzzatti. "Enemies Everywhere: Terrorism, Moral Panic, and US Civil Society." Critical Criminology 12 (2004): 327-50.

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"The Globallization of Crime: A Transnational Organized Crie Threat Assessment." United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2007): 1-314.

Williams, Phil. "Organized Crime and Cyber-Crime: Implications for Business." CERT Coordination Center (2002): 1-7.