NCJ Number
135933
Date Published
1990
Length
62 pages
Annotation
The illegal drug business is very organized; it employs hundreds of thousands of people and uses the tools of blackmail, kidnapping, rape, prostitution, and murder.
Abstract
In most countries of the world, drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and marijuana are illegal for people to manufacture, possess, and use. The only exceptions the law makes are for medical researchers, doctors, and pharmacists. Organized drug crime involves a network of individuals with large sums of money who are responsible for growing, harvesting, manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and selling illegal drugs. The cocaine drug empire is primarily in Colombia in the cities of Medellin and Cali. The governments of Colombia and Bolivia want to stop the drug trade in their countries, but the problem is difficult to solve. Cocaine barons have enough wealth and power to pay off government officials. The drug business is a pyramid-shaped empire that has an upper half and a lower half. The upper half, down to the packagers, is in the country where drugs are cultivated and processed. The lower half, responsible for distribution, sale, and use, is in the country of destination. Money laundering is the name given to the way drug profits are hidden. The high profits associated with drug smuggling make it a favorite method of raising money for other criminal activities. For example, terrorist groups in Latin America and the Middle East deal in drugs to finance their other activities. The drug storage and distribution network is often linked to gang violence. Efforts to stop the drug trade include interdiction, eradication, and legislative and international initiatives. Drug profiles are provided, and sources of help for drug-related problems are noted. Photographs