Transnational Criminals and Terrorists

Transnational Criminals and Terrorists

Organized crime takes many forms that include but not limited to human trafficking, drug trafficking, terrorism and trade in weapons. These crimes attract high-level organization concerning finances, operations and resources. It is in this regard that these crimes go beyond borders into the global arena. Terrorism, for example, is a worldwide menace with terror attacks taking place in various nations. Funding is a significant component of terrorism, and as such counterfeiting is one way of financing terror. Counterfeiting involves the sale of lookalike goods at a cheaper price (U.S. Government Printing Office, 2005). The sale of counterfeit and pirated goods has thus been instrumental in funding terrorism. The custom border patrol unit in the U.S. is tasked with ensuring that drugs, firearms and other contraband do not enter U.S. soil through U.S. border entry points.

Transnational organized crime is a threat that is expanding at an alarming rate. Terrorist organizations, for example, penetrate countries with weak laws and poor economic stability easily. The lack of a stable rule of law, for example, makes corruption an easy way for organized crime groups to carry out illegal activities (“Transnational Organized Crime: A Growing Threat to National and International Security”, n.d.). Counterfeit goods are thus easier to export to such nations without any reprisal. Warring nations with weak political stability equally facilitate transnational organized crime. Firearms, for example, are likely to penetrate the country at a higher rate facilitating criminal activities.

Cheap commodities are the result of cheap labor. Cheap labor often involves a lack of institution of the necessary labor laws. As a result, employees hired work under poor inhuman conditions. Buying cheap fake products could mean facilitating basic human rights violations such as human trafficking for example. Cheap labor, in this case, would be acquired from the trafficked/smuggled humans. It is interesting to note that most buyers of counterfeit products do not realize the implication of their choice to buy fake. Organized crime is facilitated by everyday people carrying out everyday activities such as shopping (Gray, 2018). It, therefore, means that curtailing organized crime takes more than government effort and includes individual effort. The level of financial affluence enjoyed by organized crime groups directly affects economic and political stability of countries. Organized crime money, for example, is used in elections to fund preferred candidates as well as bribing electoral agencies.

Different organized crime groups have different skills and specializations. There are those involved in terror activities, prostitution, counterfeiting, money laundering, drug trafficking and smuggling of humans, for example. It is therefore interesting to note that organized crime groups, though working in varying specialities work together to achieve preferred outcomes (D’Alfonso, 2014). Terror groups, for example, work with groups trading in weapons while human trafficking groups work with prostitution crime groups. The convergence of these divergent groups further complicates and expands transnational organized crime making it a significant threat.

Transnational organized crime continues to grow alongside growth in various sectors such as technology. The advancement of technology equally advances organized crime tactics increasing its threat. Corruption occasioned by weak governance has played and continues to play a significant role in transnational organized crime. The fact that organized crime goes beyond geographical borders thwarts the efforts of countries with strong governance. Countries with weak political stability and by extension governance offer opportunities for organized crime. In this regard, organized crime continues to thrive, posing a threat to anti-organized crime strategies.

Reference

D’Alfonso, S. (2014). A Look at Why Organized Crime and Terror Groups Are Converging.

Retrieved 10 February 2020, from https://securityintelligence.com/why-organized-crime-and-terror-groups-are-converging/

Gray, A. (2018). How fake handbags fund terrorism and organized crime [Video]. Retrieved

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UH7uTpTa44

Transnational Organized Crime: A Growing Threat to National and International Security.

Retrieved 10 February 2020, from https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/nsc/transnational-crime/threat

U.S. Government Printing Office. (2005). – Counterfeit Goods: Easy Cash for Criminals And

Terrorists. Retrieved 10 February 2020, from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-109shrg21823/html/CHRG-109shrg21823.htm