NCJ Number
207792
Date Published
2004
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This paper examines organized crime in the Czech Republic through the methods and techniques used in researching organized crime and basic data and information on groups and activities related to organized crime.
Abstract
After the year 1990, organized crime appeared in a developed form in the Czech Republic. With the emergence of organized crime, politicians in the Czech Republic reacted to organized activities by attempting to resolve specific themes of organized crime. However, it became clear there was a need to understand and define organized crime and the methodologies useful in researching organized crime, as well as basic information on the groups involved in organized crime and the activities of these groups in the Czech Republic. In this paper, the author defines organized crime as consisting of repeated or systematic acts of purposefully coordinated criminal activities, where actors are criminal groups or organizations whose main goal is to attain the maximum illegal profit while minimizing the risk. About one-third of the groups involved in organized crime were highly organized and usually had a three-level organization. In addition, some variation has occurred in the estimate of the ratio of international and domestic groups of organized crime in the Czech Republic. Organized crime was first examined in 1993 with 35 activities taken into consideration. The most widespread activities identified from 2002 data included: the theft of motor vehicles, organizing prostitution and the trading of women, drug production, smuggling, and distribution, organizing illegal migration, receiving stolen goods, and tax, loan, insurance, and exchange fraud. References