NCJ Number
156078
Date Published
1995
Length
31 pages
Annotation
Based on an international survey, this report analyzes the relationships between transnational organized crime and the legislative and investigative strategies intended to control it, with emphasis on contrasting policies among countries and the international cooperation in this area.
Abstract
The survey was sent to 160 countries. Fifty responses have been received so far. Each country provided its own definition of organized crime. The analysis focused on the nature and trends in organized crime, substantive and procedural legislation, law enforcement methods, organizational structures, and international cooperation. Results revealed that the major concern of transnational criminal organizations is profit. These organizations engage in extensive economic activities that readily cross national borders, aiming both to maximize their freedom of action and to reduce external control over their activities. Typical activities include trafficking in drugs, nuclear materials, automobiles, people, women and children, body parts, as well as money laundering. Major groups include Chinese Triads, Colombian cartels, Jamaican posses, Japanese Yakuza, Sicilian Mafia, Russian criminal organizations, and West African groups. Considerable progress has occurred in international cooperation in law enforcement to address these criminal organizations. Reference notes and profiles of criminal justice efforts and legislation in individual countries