CMY3702 Assignment 1

Table of Contents i. Definition of key words...............................................................................................2 ii. Introduction................................................................................................................2 1. Characteristics of organized crime..............................................................................2 a. Organizational continuity .....................................................................................2 b. Hierarchical structure...........................................................................................3 c. Restricted/exclusive membership.........................................................................3 d. Criminality/violence/power..................................................................................3 e. Legitimate business involvement..........................................................................4 f. Use of specialists..................................................................................................4 g. Division of labour.................................................................................................4 2. Categories of organized crime....................................................................................4 a. Provision of illicit services ..............................................................................4 b. Provision of illicit goods .................................................................................5 c. Conspiracy to commit crime...........................................................................5 d. Penetration of legitimate business.................................................................5 e. Extortion........................................................................................................6 f. Corruption ....................................................................................................6 iii. Conclusion..................................................................................................................6 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................7 Declaration .......................................................................................................................8 This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :48:06 GMT -06:00 2 | P a g e EXPOSITION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS AND CATEGORIES OF ORGANISED CRIME. i. DEFINITION OF KEYWORD(S) Organized crime: is a category of transnational, national or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. ii. INTRODUCTION It is increasingly recognized in the international and community that organized crime hinders inclusive and sustainable development in many ways. Today’s universe of organized criminal activities and of the individuals, groups and network involved in them is virtually infinite. Spanning the whole globe, organized criminal operations rage from illegal protection economies and extortion rackets to cybercrime, oil theft, money laundering etc. Organized crime is not an “allen”, external threat. Criminal operations are planned, designed, and implemented by mafia bosses, drug kingpins. Organized crime is sometimes associated with violence, even with warlike forms of violence, but there is no strong correlation between organized criminal activities and violence. Measures of stability and relatively low levels of violence can be compatible with huge high-value criminal operations such as transnational drug trafficking and oil theft on an industrial scale. 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANIZED CRIME The criminal group is structured as a collection of hierarchically arranged interdependent persons devoted to the accomplishment of a particular function. a. ORGANIZATIONAL CONTINUITY The criminal group operate beyond the lifetime of individual members and is structured to survive changes in leadership. The gang remains continuously involved in criminal activity. These groups are not found on a temporary basis, but the groups are into existence for a This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :48:06 GMT -06:00 3 | P a g e long time. Similarly, an exploratory research shows that c