CRIMINOLOGY:SECTION B
Theme 3: Economically Motivated Crimes
Learning outcomes
- Property crimes
Economically Motivated Crimes
o Copper cable and aluminium theft
- Global phenomenon
- Commercial crimes
- Become more organised
o Ponzi schemes
o Fraud
o Misappropriation of funds
- Organised crimes and organised criminal groups
o National and transnational groups
- Organised crimes and organised criminal groups
o Cape Flats gangs
- Then Transnational and international groups
o Nigerian criminal networks
o Pakistani mafia
o Chinese triads
- Organised criminal activities
o Money laundering
- Trafficking of human organs and body parts
Glossary
Bucket shop
- An unregistered scrap dealer who trades in stolen metal
Cybercrime
- The use of computers or computer networks to commit an offence
Fraudulent investment scheme
- A scam where investors are promised that they will receive a higher return on their investments in order to
get people to hand over their money to the criminal
Money laundering
- The process of disguising or concealing the illegal origins of money or property derived from criminal activities
National organised criminal group
- Nationals from a specific country who commit crime within the borders of that specific country
Transnational organised criminal group
- Foreign nationals from a specific country of origin who commit cross-border crimes
1
, Property crimes
- Costs the South African economy between R5 billion and R7 billion
- Consequences
o Loss of income
o Disruption of services
o Labour costs to repair affected network
o Implementation of security measures
- Sources for stealing cable and aluminium:
o Overhead power lines
o Underground power
o Communication cables
o Copper earth cables
o Power substations
o Signal cables
o Non-ferrous metal in railway carriages from doors, basins and window frames
Copper
- One of the first metals ever extracted and used by humans
- Has made vital contributions to sustaining and improving society
- Ranked as 3rd most consumed industrial metal in the world
- Used in building construction, power generation and transmission, electronic
product manufacturing, production of industrial machinery and transportation
vehicles
- Wiring and plumbing are integral to the appliances, heating and cooling systems –
telecommunications used every day in home and business
- Important component in card
- Used in medicines
o Chest wounds
o Helps prevent inflammation in arthritis
- Sold for R65 – R7- per kilogram
Copper cable and aluminium theft
Opportunistic thieves :
- Steal small pieces of cable
- Addicted to drugs and steals to support the habit
- Syndicates often use drug dealers – Kamikazes
o After they use tik (South African crystal methamphetamine) they are on a high
▪ Usually lose their regard for life
▪ Willing to cut electric cables without concern about being electrocuted
- They lose regard for their own lives and are willing to cut electric cables without any concern about being
electrocuted
- Unemployment
o Support families or themselves
- Repeat offenders
- Likely to be illegal immigrants, who after being caught, are deported to their countries of origin
- Underprivileged thieves
o Involved in collecting scrap metal for subsistence purposes
o Tend to steal any metal they can get
▪ Steel manhole covers
▪ Steel valve covers
▪ Steel light pole covers
▪ Steel poles in fenced off areas
o Repeat offenders
2
Theme 3: Economically Motivated Crimes
Learning outcomes
- Property crimes
Economically Motivated Crimes
o Copper cable and aluminium theft
- Global phenomenon
- Commercial crimes
- Become more organised
o Ponzi schemes
o Fraud
o Misappropriation of funds
- Organised crimes and organised criminal groups
o National and transnational groups
- Organised crimes and organised criminal groups
o Cape Flats gangs
- Then Transnational and international groups
o Nigerian criminal networks
o Pakistani mafia
o Chinese triads
- Organised criminal activities
o Money laundering
- Trafficking of human organs and body parts
Glossary
Bucket shop
- An unregistered scrap dealer who trades in stolen metal
Cybercrime
- The use of computers or computer networks to commit an offence
Fraudulent investment scheme
- A scam where investors are promised that they will receive a higher return on their investments in order to
get people to hand over their money to the criminal
Money laundering
- The process of disguising or concealing the illegal origins of money or property derived from criminal activities
National organised criminal group
- Nationals from a specific country who commit crime within the borders of that specific country
Transnational organised criminal group
- Foreign nationals from a specific country of origin who commit cross-border crimes
1
, Property crimes
- Costs the South African economy between R5 billion and R7 billion
- Consequences
o Loss of income
o Disruption of services
o Labour costs to repair affected network
o Implementation of security measures
- Sources for stealing cable and aluminium:
o Overhead power lines
o Underground power
o Communication cables
o Copper earth cables
o Power substations
o Signal cables
o Non-ferrous metal in railway carriages from doors, basins and window frames
Copper
- One of the first metals ever extracted and used by humans
- Has made vital contributions to sustaining and improving society
- Ranked as 3rd most consumed industrial metal in the world
- Used in building construction, power generation and transmission, electronic
product manufacturing, production of industrial machinery and transportation
vehicles
- Wiring and plumbing are integral to the appliances, heating and cooling systems –
telecommunications used every day in home and business
- Important component in card
- Used in medicines
o Chest wounds
o Helps prevent inflammation in arthritis
- Sold for R65 – R7- per kilogram
Copper cable and aluminium theft
Opportunistic thieves :
- Steal small pieces of cable
- Addicted to drugs and steals to support the habit
- Syndicates often use drug dealers – Kamikazes
o After they use tik (South African crystal methamphetamine) they are on a high
▪ Usually lose their regard for life
▪ Willing to cut electric cables without concern about being electrocuted
- They lose regard for their own lives and are willing to cut electric cables without any concern about being
electrocuted
- Unemployment
o Support families or themselves
- Repeat offenders
- Likely to be illegal immigrants, who after being caught, are deported to their countries of origin
- Underprivileged thieves
o Involved in collecting scrap metal for subsistence purposes
o Tend to steal any metal they can get
▪ Steel manhole covers
▪ Steel valve covers
▪ Steel light pole covers
▪ Steel poles in fenced off areas
o Repeat offenders
2
