Transnational Organized Crime
Week 1 (37) – Introduction
Lecture 1: From mafia to transnational organised crime
Literature:
® Hobbs, D., & Antonopoulos, G. A. (2014). How to research organized crime. The
Oxford handbook of organised crime, pp. 96-117.
® Lyman, M. D., & Potter, G. W. (2007). Theories of organized criminal behaviour.
Organized crime, 4th ed, pp. 59-83.
® Rock, P. (2002). Sociological theories of crime. The Oxford handbook of criminology,
3, pp. 51-82
Week 2 (38) – Theories in organised crime
Lecture 2: Italian mafia in Europe and US
Literature:
® Albanese, J.S. (2014). The Italian-American Mafia. Oxford handbook of organized
crime, pp. 142-158.
® Paoli, L. (2014). The Italian Mafia. Oxford handbook of organized crime, pp. 121-141.
Week 3 (39) – Traditional organised crime activities
Lecture 3: Russian mafia and organised crime in Eastern Europe
Literature:
® Siegel, D. (2014). Lithuanian itinerant gangs in the Netherlands. Kriminologijos Stud,
2, pp. 5-40.
® Volkov, V. (2014). The Russian Mafia: Rise and Extinction. Oxford handbook of
organized crime, pp. 159-176.
Week 4 (40) – New criminal markets
Lecture 4: Drug industry in Latin America
Literature:
® Garzó n, J. C. (2014). Fixing a Broken System: Modernizing Drug Law Enforcement in
Latin America. Amsterdam: Transnational Institute, pp. 1-16.
® Garzó n, J. C. (2016). What is the relationship between organized crime and homicide
in Latin America? Homicide Dispatch 3.
® Zaitch, D., Antonopolous, G. (2019). Organized crime in Latin America: an introduction
to the special issue, Trends in Organized Crime, 22, pp. 141-147.
,Guest lecture – Money laundering
Lecture 5: Money laundering
Literature:
® Unger & Van Der Linde (2013) Research Handbook on Money Laundering, Chapter 1
– Introduction
® Ferwerda, J. (2013) The effects of money laundering, in Unger & Van Der Linde (eds)
Research Handbook on Money Laundering.
Week 5 (41) – Legality and illegality
Lecture 6: Organised crime and wildlife trafficking
Literature:
® Van de Bunt, H., Siegel, D., & Zaitch, D. (2014). ‘The social embeddedness of organized
crime.’ In. (ed) Paoli, L. The Oxrd Handbook of Organized Crime.
® Van Uhm, D., & Siegel, D. (2016). The illegal trade in black caviar. Trends in Organized
Crime, 19(1), pp. 67-87.
® Wyatt, T., van Uhm, D., & Nurse, A. (2020). Differentiating criminal networks in the
illegal wildlife trade: organized, corporate and disorganized crime. Trends in Organized
Crime, pp. 1-17.
Week 6 (42) – Money laundering
Lecture 7: Crime at the edge: interrelations of legal and illegal networks
Literature:
® Passas, N. (2003). Cross-border crime and the interface between legal and illegal actors.
Upperworld and Underworld in Cross-Border Crime, pp. 11-41.
® Rothe, D., Kauzlarich, D. (2022). Crimes of the Powerful: White Collar Crime and
Beyond, Chapters 8 & 9
Week 7 (43) – Terrorism
Lecture 8: State crime and terrorism
Literature:
® Jalata, A. (2011). Terrorism from Above and Below in the Age of Globalization, 1 (1),
pp. 1-15.
® Rothe, D., Kauzlarich, D. (2022). Crimes of the Powerful: White Collar Crime and
Beyond, Chapter 7
, Week 1 (37) – Introduction
Lecture 1: From mafia to transnational organised crime
Organized crime =
® Associations with Italian mafia (Cressey).
o FBI = Organized crime enterprise is a continuing criminal conspiracy with
organized structure, fed by fear and corruption and motivated by greed.
o INTERPOL = Organized crime is a systematically prepared and planned
committing of serious criminal acts with a view to gain financial profits and
power.
o German Police = Organized crime can be any business or business-like structure,
which tries to influence politics, media, public administration and economy.
International organised crime = acts prohibited by international criminal law.
Transnational organised crime = cross-border crime.
® It is criminalised in at least one state.
Transnational organized crime = A structured group of three or more persons, existing for a
period of time and with the aim of committing one or more serious crimes or other material
benefit.
Transnational criminal groups
® Rigid hierarchy = single boss, strong internal discipline, several divisions.
® Devolved hierarchy = regional structures, own hierarchy and autonomy.
® Hierarchical conglomerate = umbrella association of separate criminal groups.
® Core criminal group = a horizontal structure of core individuals who work for the same
organization.
® Organized crime network = individuals engage in criminal activity in shifting
alliances according to skills they possess to carry out the illicit activity.
Structures of criminal groups
® Pyramid = the traditional American structure: godfather at the top.
® Networks = offenders cooperate in changing links.
o Financiers and organisators (central role).
o Underground bankers, transporters etc.
o Broker and criminal mediator.
o Family and friends contacts.
Research approaches
® Ethnographic research: focuses on the study of human cultures and social groups.
o The fieldwork often requires the researchers to build trust with participants and
observe their behavior over extended periods.
Week 1 (37) – Introduction
Lecture 1: From mafia to transnational organised crime
Literature:
® Hobbs, D., & Antonopoulos, G. A. (2014). How to research organized crime. The
Oxford handbook of organised crime, pp. 96-117.
® Lyman, M. D., & Potter, G. W. (2007). Theories of organized criminal behaviour.
Organized crime, 4th ed, pp. 59-83.
® Rock, P. (2002). Sociological theories of crime. The Oxford handbook of criminology,
3, pp. 51-82
Week 2 (38) – Theories in organised crime
Lecture 2: Italian mafia in Europe and US
Literature:
® Albanese, J.S. (2014). The Italian-American Mafia. Oxford handbook of organized
crime, pp. 142-158.
® Paoli, L. (2014). The Italian Mafia. Oxford handbook of organized crime, pp. 121-141.
Week 3 (39) – Traditional organised crime activities
Lecture 3: Russian mafia and organised crime in Eastern Europe
Literature:
® Siegel, D. (2014). Lithuanian itinerant gangs in the Netherlands. Kriminologijos Stud,
2, pp. 5-40.
® Volkov, V. (2014). The Russian Mafia: Rise and Extinction. Oxford handbook of
organized crime, pp. 159-176.
Week 4 (40) – New criminal markets
Lecture 4: Drug industry in Latin America
Literature:
® Garzó n, J. C. (2014). Fixing a Broken System: Modernizing Drug Law Enforcement in
Latin America. Amsterdam: Transnational Institute, pp. 1-16.
® Garzó n, J. C. (2016). What is the relationship between organized crime and homicide
in Latin America? Homicide Dispatch 3.
® Zaitch, D., Antonopolous, G. (2019). Organized crime in Latin America: an introduction
to the special issue, Trends in Organized Crime, 22, pp. 141-147.
,Guest lecture – Money laundering
Lecture 5: Money laundering
Literature:
® Unger & Van Der Linde (2013) Research Handbook on Money Laundering, Chapter 1
– Introduction
® Ferwerda, J. (2013) The effects of money laundering, in Unger & Van Der Linde (eds)
Research Handbook on Money Laundering.
Week 5 (41) – Legality and illegality
Lecture 6: Organised crime and wildlife trafficking
Literature:
® Van de Bunt, H., Siegel, D., & Zaitch, D. (2014). ‘The social embeddedness of organized
crime.’ In. (ed) Paoli, L. The Oxrd Handbook of Organized Crime.
® Van Uhm, D., & Siegel, D. (2016). The illegal trade in black caviar. Trends in Organized
Crime, 19(1), pp. 67-87.
® Wyatt, T., van Uhm, D., & Nurse, A. (2020). Differentiating criminal networks in the
illegal wildlife trade: organized, corporate and disorganized crime. Trends in Organized
Crime, pp. 1-17.
Week 6 (42) – Money laundering
Lecture 7: Crime at the edge: interrelations of legal and illegal networks
Literature:
® Passas, N. (2003). Cross-border crime and the interface between legal and illegal actors.
Upperworld and Underworld in Cross-Border Crime, pp. 11-41.
® Rothe, D., Kauzlarich, D. (2022). Crimes of the Powerful: White Collar Crime and
Beyond, Chapters 8 & 9
Week 7 (43) – Terrorism
Lecture 8: State crime and terrorism
Literature:
® Jalata, A. (2011). Terrorism from Above and Below in the Age of Globalization, 1 (1),
pp. 1-15.
® Rothe, D., Kauzlarich, D. (2022). Crimes of the Powerful: White Collar Crime and
Beyond, Chapter 7
, Week 1 (37) – Introduction
Lecture 1: From mafia to transnational organised crime
Organized crime =
® Associations with Italian mafia (Cressey).
o FBI = Organized crime enterprise is a continuing criminal conspiracy with
organized structure, fed by fear and corruption and motivated by greed.
o INTERPOL = Organized crime is a systematically prepared and planned
committing of serious criminal acts with a view to gain financial profits and
power.
o German Police = Organized crime can be any business or business-like structure,
which tries to influence politics, media, public administration and economy.
International organised crime = acts prohibited by international criminal law.
Transnational organised crime = cross-border crime.
® It is criminalised in at least one state.
Transnational organized crime = A structured group of three or more persons, existing for a
period of time and with the aim of committing one or more serious crimes or other material
benefit.
Transnational criminal groups
® Rigid hierarchy = single boss, strong internal discipline, several divisions.
® Devolved hierarchy = regional structures, own hierarchy and autonomy.
® Hierarchical conglomerate = umbrella association of separate criminal groups.
® Core criminal group = a horizontal structure of core individuals who work for the same
organization.
® Organized crime network = individuals engage in criminal activity in shifting
alliances according to skills they possess to carry out the illicit activity.
Structures of criminal groups
® Pyramid = the traditional American structure: godfather at the top.
® Networks = offenders cooperate in changing links.
o Financiers and organisators (central role).
o Underground bankers, transporters etc.
o Broker and criminal mediator.
o Family and friends contacts.
Research approaches
® Ethnographic research: focuses on the study of human cultures and social groups.
o The fieldwork often requires the researchers to build trust with participants and
observe their behavior over extended periods.
