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1
The Influence of Transnational

Organized Crime on Global Citizens,
Economies and Politics; The
Exponential Epidemic
Jakob L. Graham
May 10th, 2019
Global Perspectives
Mr. Toole
Table of Contents
2
Preface ………………………… 3
Summary of Research Methods …………………. 5
Definitions ……………………. 6
Significance…………………………... 12
History/Background …………………. 14
Expert ………………….. 21
Role of Control …………………………. 30
International Organizations ……………….. 35
Case Studies …………………………… 39
El Salvador …………………………… 39
Nigeria …………………………….. 45
Russia …………………………….. 51
Canadian Connection ………………………. 55
Logic of Evil …………………………… 59
Political Influence …………………….. 61
Media Influence …………………….. 66
Religious Influence …………………….. 67
Solutions …………………………. 72
Conclusion ……………………….. 76
Appendix ……………………….. 77
Works Cited and Bibliography ………………….. 125 & 133
Preface
“Environmental degradation, overpopulation, refugees, narcotics, terrorism, world crime

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movements, and organized crime are worldwide problems that don't stop at a nation's borders” 1
The issue of organized crime is not as publicized of a concern compared to climate change, the
refugee crisis, etc. Contrary to this lack of awareness, the impacts of organized crime on society
is an incredibly pressing problem globally that affects countless people worldwide every day.
I began this report with the title “The Influence of Organized Crime on Global
Economies and Politics”, however after preliminary research I determined that it was impossible
for global economies and politics to be affected without global citizens being affected. In
response, the title of this report was amended to “The Influence of Organized Crime on Global
Citizens, Economies and Politics”
Organized crime is a broad spectrum of other crimes, such as theft, drug trafficking,
human trafficking, arms trafficking, illegally transporting toxic waste, and countless more.
Committed for economic or political gain, organized crime has significant impacts on individuals
worldwide through the economy and politics.
Organized crime often results in or requires other crimes to be committed in order to

achieve its objectives. Murder and political corruption are common consequences of organized
crime that negatively impact innocent people globally. From 2001-2012, 15% of homicides in
the Netherlands were a result of organized crime or gang activity. 2 In Jamaica, a developing
country, that number spiked to 44%.3
As is obvious, organized crime is a crisis that reaches every corner of the world,
regardless of the political or economic state of a nation. Crime syndicates and illicit markets are
transnational and impossible for a single state to combat. Nations around the globe must unite in
order to defeat this dangerous, undermining, and extensive world issue.
This academic report will deeply explore the intricate global issue of organized crime and
how it affects citizens, economies, and politics. After extensive investigation and case studies,
conclusions will be drawn. Among these conclusions will be recommended solutions for a crisis
that, while not often in the public eye, has substantial negative impacts on the world each day.
1
“Warren Christopher Quote.” A-Z Quotes, www.azquotes.com/quote/55934?ref=organized-crime.
2
UNODC Global Study on Homicide 2013 (United Nations publication, Sales No. 14.IV.1)
3
ibid
4
Summary of Research Methods
This academic report utilizes facts and information from a wide variety of sources in
order to ensure accuracy while discussing the issue of transnational organized crime. Due to the
vastness of the subtopics discussed, the use of a great multitude of official reports from
international organization and individual sovereign governments, personally interviewed experts,
5
the word of experts through external interviews or literate works, news articles, and journals
were critical in order for this published report to effectively meet its purpose, which is
communicating the social, political, and economic impacts of transnational organized crime, and
how these impacts are growing exponentially.
Sources for this paper have been thoroughly vetted and critically examined in order to
ensure their reliability and accuracy. The word of seven personally interviewed experts has also
been included in order to provide a diverse range of information that excludes the use of personal
bias. This intellectual paper is free of bias as a result of extensive research. Facts and proven
information from dependable and respected sources demonstrate the truth behind a global issue,
as well as provide solution and conclusion on how to prevent the exponential epidemic that is
transnational organized crime.
Qualitative and quantitative research were used in balance in order to ensure that the
information in this academic report is both accurate and abundant. The accuracy of an abundance
of research allows the reader to draw their own conclusions free of bias or inaccurate
information.
All sources directly utilized within this scholarly paper are cited in both footnotes and
within the works cited section at the end of the paper. In order to ensure that this report is free
from plagiarism, sources are either directly cited or paraphrased; within the paper both are cited
with footnotes. Any additional sources for this paper, either those where minor insights or links
to additional sources were provided, can be found cited within the bibliography, also found at the
end of the report.
To restate, the purpose on this academic paper is to communicate the social, political, and
economic impacts of transnational organized crime, and how these impacts are growing
exponentially. Bias, lack of information, inclusion of inaccurate information, and plagiarism
have all been avoided through effective research and appropriate citation.
6
Definitions
Organized crime is an incredibly intricate issue involving a wide variety of crime factions
committing a immense range of offences. In order to understand the severity of this issue, as well
as how the problem can be abolished, one must first understand the issue itself, its global
influence, and the common terms that will be used in this report.
Organized crime is a broad term encompassing many offences committed by organized

crime groups. Interpol has identified the common illegal activities of organized crime groups that
the international police force combats, including human trafficking, money laundering, illicit
7
goods, weapons, drugs, armed robbery, and counterfeiting. It is important to note that these
crimes are not the full range of organized crime groups, but rather only the beginning. Organized
crime groups committing an incredibly wide variety of offences across the globe and many
factors affect the crimes that these groups commit.
According to Interpol, organized crime is difficult to define as “Definitions of what

constitutes organized crime vary widely from country to country” 4 This is supported by
organized crime expert Antonio Nicaso. Nicaso has said, “It is very difficult to define organized
crime. There is no one definition that is accepted by everyone in the world. There are so many
countries with different definitions of organized crime” 5 Mr. Nicaso elaborated that sovereign
states have varying perceptions of what is and is not organized crime. 6 For this reason, a single
universally agreed upon definition of organized does not exist, each country, police force,
international organization, etc has their own definition of organized crime.
It is unquestioned that organized crime is committed by organized crime groups, which

are defined by the UN in the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime. This Convention, established on November 15th, 2000, was established in order to “to
promote cooperation to prevent and combat transnational organized crime more effectively”, and
is currently the UN’s leading document in the fight against organized crime. 7
In the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, UN declares

that organized crime groups are “a structured group of three or more persons, existing for a
period of time and acting in concert with the aim of committing one or more serious crimes or
offences...in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit.” 8
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) outlines the requirements for a party to be
considered an organized crime group. These requirements are as follows;
4
“Organized Crime.” N2018-092 / 2018 / News / News and Media / Internet / Home - INTERPOL,
www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Organized-crime/Organized-crime.
5
Nicaso, Antonio. Personal Interview. 8 March, 2019.
6
ibid
7
“United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.” United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime, www.unodc.org/documents/middleeastandnorthafrica/organised-
crime/UNITED_NATIONS_CONVENTION_AGAINST_TRANSNATIONAL_ORGANIZED_CRIME_AND_TH
E_PROTOCOLS_THERETO.pdf .
8
ibid
8
(a) is composed of three or more persons in or outside

Canada; and,
(b) has as one of its main purposes or main activities the

facilitation or commission of one or more serious offences, that, if
committed, would likely result in the direct or indirect receipt of a
material benefit, including a financial benefit, by the group or by
any one of the persons who constitute the group.
The various components that comprise this legal definition

are based on the exclusion of a group of three of more persons that
has formed randomly for the immediate commission of a single
offence.
As is evident, there is no concrete definition for organized crime, as it is simply crime,

committed by an organized group. As such, we must define the terms separately.
Organized: The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines organized as “having a formal

organization to coordinate and carry out activities.” 9
Crime: The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines crime as “an illegal act for which
someone can be punished by the government.” 10
The classification of what is and is not an organized group is what sets organized crime
apart from other offences. The consensus for this definition is somewhat universal, as it was set
by the UN in 2000.
In order to further understand organized crime, one must comprehend the crimes
committed by these organizations. Each crime referred to in this paper is defined below:
Money Laundering: Interpol defines money laundering as “any act or attempted

act to conceal or disguise the identity of illegally obtained proceeds so that they appear to
9
“Organized.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organized.
10
“Crime.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crime.
9
have originated from legitimate sources.” 11
Human Trafficking: The United Nations defines human trafficking as “the

recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the
threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of
the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of
payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another
person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the
exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced
labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of
organs.” 12
Drug Trafficking: The United Nations defines drug trafficking as “global illicit
trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances which are
subject to drug prohibition laws.” 13
Arms Trafficking: The United Nations defined arms trafficking in the

International Firearms Protocol, also known as the Illicit Manufacturing of and
Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition. Arms trafficking
is defined as “the import, export, acquisition, sale, delivery, movement or transfer of
firearms, their parts and components and ammunition from or across the territory of one
State Party to that of another State Party if any one of the States Parties concerned does
not authorize.” 14
In addition to the crimes they commit, many other intricate terms must be used
when discussing organized crime. These terms are defined below for context relating to
this academic paper.
11
“Money Laundering.” N2018-092 / 2018 / News / News and Media / Internet / Home - INTERPOL,
www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Financial-crime/Money-laundering.
12
McLaughlin, Liam. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Integrity in the Criminal Justice
System, www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html.
13
Wabwoba, Rebecca. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Integrity in the Criminal Justice
System, www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drug-trafficking/index.html.
14
“United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Integrity in the Criminal Justice System,
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/firearms-protocol/the-firearms-protocol.html.
10
Fragile States: According to organized crime expert David Carter, fragile states
are those with a weak government structure, high levels of poverty and corruption. In
these states, governments have little control and terrorism is incredibly prominent. 15
Globalization: Globalization is the spread of products, technology, information,

and jobs across national borders and cultures. In economic terms, it describes an
interdependence of nations around the globe fostered through free trade. 16
Organized crime is incredibly difficult to define. It involves heavily layered networks and
the interpretation of these network, more so of what is and is not “organized crime” varies
between individuals, governments, institutions, and international organizations. In order to
understand the issue, however, definitions of both organized crime and those terms associated
with it must be provided. Readers will have their own interpretations of what constitutes
organized crime, but when making this interpretation the reader must acknowledge their own
personal biases towards this global issue and rely as much on facts and the word of experts as
much as possible.
The ability of crime to be transnational is the most significant reason it has developed
into an international issue. Organized crime does not have to operate within the borders and
bureaucratic formalities that sovereign states must. For this reason, organized crime is able to
stay ahead of governments on the global scale. Dr Vesna Markovic said
Globalization has changed the face of organized crime, which is why it is

commonly referred to as transnational organized crime. The improvements in
telecommunication, transportation, etc. have made it easier for people to
communicate and travel, but it also has made it easier for people to commit crime.
Organized crime has a major impact globally on social, political, and economic levels.
The ability for organized crime groups to become transnational has made the problem
grow exponentially in recent years. The rapid technological progression that the world is
going through will only continue to benefit organized crime and its ability to become
15
Carter, David. Personal Interview. 7 March, 2019.
16
Kopp, Beverly Bird and Carol. “Learn About Globalization.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 17 Apr. 2019,
www.investopedia.com/terms/g/globalization.asp.
11
transnational. Transnational organized crime will never die out, therefore it is the onus of
the global community to strongly combat this issue in order to end its devastating social,
political, and economic effects.
An issue of this magnitude cannot be stamped out overnight. The remainder of

this paper will outline the issue of transnational organized crime in detail in order to draw
conclusion about its impact on the globe and create solutions to this epidemic.
Significance
Undoubtedly, organized crime has substantial impacts on a global scale. It affects

citizens, economies, and politics in several countries. Organized crime groups are transnational,
unconcerned with borders or policies. "Today, the criminal market spans the planet: illicit goods
are sourced from one continent, trafficked across another, and marketed in a third." 17 This was
said by the former Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC), Antonio Maria Costa, in 2010. Organized crime is a rapid growing global issue, one
that Costa and the UN realize will not stop at the will of one country.
Crime syndicates commit a wide variety of crimes to progress their agendas. All of these
crimes individually are major global issues, however organized crime is the driving force behind
these atrocities. In 2018, there were 40.3 million victims of human trafficking around the world
17
Alexander.sauer. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Integrity in the Criminal Justice System,
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2010/June/organized-crime-has-globalized-and-turned-into-a-security-
threat.html.
12
18
An estimated $1.6 trillion was laundered in 2009, accounting for 2.7% of the global GDP. 19
Figures 1, 2, and 3 in the appendix demonstrate how harmful drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and
methamphetamines are trafficked globally. The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS),
based in New Delhi, estimates that upwards of 20% of the global arms trade (up to $18 billion
USD per year) involves illicit trafficking and around 2 million people are involved in the illicit
arms trade globally. 20
As is incredibly evident from these stats, organized crime is creating a global crisis.
Through their many illegal avenues, organized crime groups are having a severely negative
impact on people, politics, and the global economy. Organized crime groups are transnational,
meaning a global solution must be reached in order to solve this colossal issue. This ability to be
transnational is what makes organized crime a global issue, rather than one for individual
sovereignties.
18
“The Facts.” Polaris, 9 Nov. 2018, polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/facts.
19
Cheryl.Brooks. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Integrity in the Criminal Justice System,
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2011/October/illicit-money_-how-much-is-out-there.html.
20
Chandler, Col Sushil. “Illegal Arms Trade: Issues and the Way Forward.” Centre for Land Warfare
Studies (CLAWS), www.claws.in/1859/illegal-arms-trade-issues-and-the-way-forward-sushil-chander.html.
13
History/Background
Transnational organized crime is a broad topic and a concept that has existed for
centuries. A deep, intricate history surrounds organized crime, as many crime syndicates,
sovereign nations, and international organizations have played a pivotal role in creating this
global issue and developing its relevance on a global scale. Human nature and religion also
contribute to the roots of transnational organized crime, and are perhaps the primary influences
of this epidemic. On the broad spectrum, organized crime has many roots that originated from
many regions of the world, however influences of the human mind and ideologies are also major
contributing factors.
According to transnational organized crime expert James Forest, “the core primary origin
of organized crime is greed and human nature.” 21 Forest also spoke of humanity’s resilience in
finding a “way around obstacles to get what we want.” 22 This encompases the basis and roots of
organized crime, and crime in general. Mankind’s desire for wealth is the primary factor that
drives people to commit illicit activities; people will pay high prices for products and services
21
Forest, James.. Personal Interview. 9 March, 2019.
22
ibid
14
that are difficult to obtain. Expert James Dubro said that this is where organized crime, “provides
a useful service”. 23 By providing products and services that are illegal, organized crime makes
immense profits as the prices for such commodities are greatly inflated due to the risk involved.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every
man's greed.” 24 Ghandi captured the roots of organized crime within this quote, which is human
nature. The greed for wealth that organized criminals have, and the greed for an illicit
commodity that those who purchase goods/services from organized crime groups have
demonstrate human nature and its influence on the establishment of organized crime on Earth.
Transnational organized crime could not exist before homosapians, therefore the roots of this
issue come in the form of human nature. This species’ desire for wealth and what we cannot have
are the driving forces behind the facilitators and beneficiaries of transnational organized crime.
Organize crime has roots in religion as well, most notably Christianity. Prostitution is
thought to be one of the earliest forms of organized crime taking place among humans. In the
Bible, Proverbs 9:13-18 states,
A prostitute is loud and brash, and never has enough of lust and shame. She sits at
the door of her house or stands at the street corners of the city, whispering to men
going by, and to those minding their own business. 'Come home with me,' she
urges simpletons. 'Stolen melons are the sweetest; stolen apples taste the best!'
But they don’t realize that her former guests are now citizens of hell. 25
The Bible also states that God forbids Christians to become involved with prostitutes, instead
promoting abstinence. Proverbs 5:3-14 states,
For the lips of a prostitute are as sweet as honey, and smooth flattery is her stock
in trade. But afterwards only a bitter conscience is left to you, sharp as a double-
edged sword. She leads you down to death and hell. For she does not know the
path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail, and doesn't even realize where it
leads. Young men, listen to me, and never forget what I'm about to say: Run from
23
Dubro, James.. Personal Interview. 15 March, 2019.
24
“Greed Quotes (1052 Quotes).” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/greed.
25
“Prostitution.” Bibleinfo.com, www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/prostitution.
15
her! Don't go near her house, lest you fall to her temptation and lose your honor,
and give the remainder of your life to the cruel and merciless, lest strangers obtain
your wealth, and you become a slave of foreigners. Lest afterwards you groan in
anguish and in shame, when syphilis consumers your body, and you say, 'Oh, if
only I had listened! If only I had not demanded my own way! Oh, why wouldn't I
take advice? Why was I so stupid? For now I must face public disgrace. 26
Dating back to the biblical period and the creation of the Bible, prostitution has been relevant in
the world. God’s word against prostitution resulted in the intrigue of what we cannot have, as is
human nature. It is suspected, though never proven, that organized crime as we know it today
first began at this point in history. Prostitution was a major industry at the time, and such a large
scale trade was undoubtedly facilitated by organized crime groups, therefore this global issue
dates back to even before the year 1 AD.
It is important to note that there is no single traceable root of transnational organized

crime, but rather there have been gangs and organized crime groups being established worldwide
for centuries. These include gangs in Old England, gangs in the Old West, and countless other
origins. While organized crime has no singular origins, one of its most prominent and well
known origins is that of pirates, which is important as their access to ships made them perhaps
one of the first instances of organised crime operating internationally.
The first pirates date back to 1400 BC, with the Lukkan pirates based in southeast
Turkey, as it is known today. 27 These pirates gained fame by raiding Cyprus, an island nation in
the Eastern Mediterranean. 28 Centuries later (1000-500 BC), piracy once again became relevant
after the Cretans used it as a way to acquire and transport slaves, mostly women and children, to
the marketplace cities of Cydonia and Eleutherna. 29 In 75 BC, Julius Caesar, the Roman
politician and military general, was captured by pirates in the Eastern Mediterranean and a
26
ibid
27
“Pirate 101: A Brief History of Piracy.” National Geographic, 2 Aug. 2015,
www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/pirate-101-a-brief-history-of-piracy.aspx.
28
Raffaele, Paul. “The Pirate Hunters.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Aug. 2007,
www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-pirate-hunters-159331258/.
29
ibid
16
ransom fee was demanded for him. 30 Centuries pass, and Vikings become relevant on the world
stage. 31 From 800 AD to 1100 AD, Scandinavian sailors known as Vikings traveled the world
looking to acquire wealth. 32 They raided coastal sites in the British Isles, modern day Russia,
Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland, Canada, often settling in the places they raided. 33
Organized crime reached politics through piracy in the late 1500’s. Queen Elizabeth I employed
Francis Drake and his crew to harass and steal from Spanish ships. 34 In the 1700’s, Caribbean
pirates attacked and raid British ships, sometimes scaring the British navy into submission based
on the threat of mass casualties. 35 Pirates had an incredible amount of power worldwide and a
reputation for violence that spanned many centuries. In the early 1800’s, pirates in North Africa
held such great international power that the President of the United States at the time, Thomas
Jefferson, sent the US Navy and Marines to obliterate pirate strongholds. 36 By the 1830’s, piracy
worldwide was suppressed greatly, and became irrelevant for over 100 years. 37 In the late
1900’s and early 2000’s, piracy reappears in Southeast Asia and Somalia, the latter of which it
remains very relevant today. 38 Pirates demonstrated and continue to demonstrate the basic
characteristics of organized crime; making profits, leaving a mark, and possessing power.
Piracy, while effective, was largely unorganized and unlinked on the global scale.
Effective transnational organized crime has largely been attributed to the mafia and major crime
families, and the global communication offered to them throughout the 20th century. Mafia
organizations today are based largely in Italy and the United States of America, however mafia
organizations and crime families exist in multiple countries internationally. Modern day mafias
originated in Sicily, Italy in the 19th century. 39 The island of Sicily was ruled by foreign invaders
30
Pirate 101: A Brief History of Piracy.” National Geographic, 2 Aug. 2015,
31
ibid
32
Editors, History.com. “Vikings.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 4 Nov. 2009,
www.history.com/topics/exploration/vikings-history.
33
ibid
34
Pirate 101: A Brief History of Piracy.” National Geographic, 2 Aug. 2015,
35
ibid
36
ibid
37
ibid
38
ibid
39
Editors, History.com. “Origins of the Mafia.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009,
www.history.com/topics/crime/origins-of-the-mafia#section_1.
17
for centuries, causing Sicilians to join forces and protect themselves. 40 Mafia members
originally were those who distrusted a central authority, however the term evolved as these
people began extorting money from landowners, often violently. 41 The term “mafia” comes
from Sicilian-Arabic slang meaning “acting as a protector against the arrogance of the powerful”.
42
Sicilian Mafia groups rose to power in the mid 1800’s, after the unification of Italy. Roman
politicians attempting to establish government in Italy asked the Sicilian Mafia to police
independant criminal bands, in exchange for ignorance of their own illegal activities. 43 This was
supposed to be a temporary arrangement, however the Sicilian mafia expanded so greatly into
the government and the economy that they gained a position of power in Italy. 44 To further their
power, the group began initiation process on the basis of a religious like coude they called
Omertã. 45 The rules of Omertã based around not cooperating with the authorities, no matter the
circumstances. 46
The Sicilian mafia was, in largepart, eliminated in the 1920’s when Italian Prime Minister
Benito Mussolini cracked down out of fear of threat to his fascist regime. 47 Post WWII, the
group rose to power once again on the wealth of the rebuilding efforts across Europe. 48 Since
WWII and dating to current day, the Sicilian mafia has profited from drug trafficking among
other criminal avenues. 49 Globally, the Sicilian mafia has planted the ideological seeds of many
other powerful Mafia’s, including that of America, which rose to power during Prohibition. 50
In 1919, The United States of America passed the 18th Amendment, banning alcohol. 51
This led to an unprecedented rise of corruption and organized crime. Corrupt politicians, police
40
ibid
41
ibid
42
ibid
43
ibid
44
ibid
45
ibid
46
ibid
47
ibid
48
ibid
49
ibid
50
ibid
51
Roos, Dave. “How Prohibition Put the 'Organized' in Organized Crime.” History.com, A&E Television
Networks, 14 Jan. 2019, www.history.com/news/prohibition-organized-crime-al-capone.
18
officers, and other figures of authority were often on the payrolls of criminals 52 Crime groups
were in charge of protecting illicit breweries, speakeasies, and shipments of illicit alcohol, as
well as providing funds to pay off politicians or law enforcement officials probing into their
affairs. 53 As this business grew, crime groups took control from law enforcement and elected
officials. Accountants and lawyers were hired to launder the illicit funds and handle logistics. 54
The growing business aspects of this operation is what turned these groups from simple crime
groups to organized crime groups, and is one of the primary origins of organized crime as it is
known in the 21st century. 55
Prohibition also marked the first significant modern day peace between crime groups,
called syndicated crime. 56 This means that organized crime groups respected each others
territory and shipping routes; neither dared cross the other in the name of peace. 57
During Prohibition, alcohol was legal in Canada, however it was illicit in the United
States. This created huge opportunities for profit among Canadian criminals, especially those in
Ontario and Quebec, which border the Great Lakes. 58 Alcohol would be transported, most often,
across Lake Ontario and Lake Erie to speakeasies in New York and Cleveland. One of the most
influential organized criminal kingpins during the prohibition era was Al “Scarface” Capone.
During Prohibition, Capone made upwards of $100 million USD per year ($1.4 billion in 2018)
by providing illicit beer, wine, and liquor to individuals and speakeasies around the United
States. 59 When talking of the period of Capone’s success, the prohibition era, transnational
organized crime expert Philip Boyle refers to the “tremendous economic incentive” to buy
alcohol legally in Canada, smuggle it into the United States, and sell it at a premium. 60 This
economic incentive was seen through the successes of Capone and many others like him.
52
ibid
53
ibid
54
ibid
55
ibid
56
ibid
57
ibid
58
59
60
Boyle, Philip,. Personal Interview. 14 March, 2019.
19
The deharmonization of legal regimes is a major cause of organized crime, and was the
primary factor that enabled organized crime to operate profitably during the prohibition era. By
allowing organized crime members to make a profit on selling alcohol from Canada in the
United States, the government enabled organized crime groups to acquire wealth and power. The
prohibition era in the USA is seen as the single most revolutionary event for organized crime
groups in the western hemisphere, one that could have been easily prevented.
After prohibition was repealed in 1933, organized crime cells had already developed a
strong enough basis to expand their empires into markets such as drugs, gambling, and
prostitution. 61 Overall, the effects of prohibition have had lasting impacts of America, and the
world, to this day. This era allowed crime groups in America to evolve into organized crime
groups, many of whom have prospered and become transnational as global communications and
travel have developed. The Solutions section of this academic paper will further investigate the
harmful effects of prohibition, and how governments must learn from the United States’ mistake
in order to effectively combat transnational organized crime.
61
20
Expert
This academic paper includes insight from seven different organized crime experts. These
experts are professors from varying universities across North America, along with one organized
crime writer, each with their own specific expertise relating to organized crime. An extensive
list of questions was prepared, and each expert was asked a select few questions from this
extensive list, based on their specific expertise. This list of questions can be seen in the Appendix
as figure 4. Each expert will be identified and their qualifications briefly discussed, after which
the answers to the questions asked will be provided in the appendix, beginning at figure 5 and
ending at figure 11. The information obtained from these experts will be examined in this
section, but will also be utilized throughout this report.
Expert #1: David Carter, Ph.D
Dr. David L. Carter, PhD from Michigan State University was spoken to on March 7th,
2019. He teaches in the School of Criminal Justice and is the Director of the Michigan State
University Intelligence Program62. In the past, Carter has worked as a police officer in Kansas
City, the Chairman of the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Texas, a Team
Leader for two Department of Justice assessments of homicide units with police department
(New Orleans and Puerto Rico) 63. In addition to these exceptional credentials, David Carter has
served as a trainer/consultant for the following:
62
“Carter, David.” MSU Criminal Justice, cj.msu.edu/people/carter-david/.
63
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21
● Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy

● FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar
● International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary
● United Nations Asia and Far East Institute
● Royal Thai Police
● Hong Kong Police
● British Police Staff College
● Multiple British Police Constabularies
● Bureau of Justice SLATT program 64
Dr. Carter is an Academic Fellow of the Foundation for Defending Democracy, a

member of the Justice Department’s Global Intelligence Working Group Training Committee
and Privacy Committee, and has authored several academic publications.65 These works include:
● Homicide Processing Mapping: Best Practices for Increasing Homicide

Clearances
● Intelligence Training
● Law Enforcement’s Information Sharing Infrastructure: A National Assessment
● Law Enforcement Intelligence and National Security Intelligence: Exploring the
Differences
● Law Enforcement Intelligence: Implications for Self-Radicalized Terrorism 66
In addition to organized crime, Dr. Carter is an expert on policing issues, violent crime
control, law enforcement intelligence and counterterrorism. 67 The information and insights
provided by Dr Carter were invaluable to this academic report.
Expert #2: Antonio Nicaso
Mr. Antonio Nicaso was spoken to on March 8th, 2019. Nicaso is a professor at Queen’s
64
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65
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66
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67
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University, bestselling author, award winning journalist, and an internationally recognized expert
on organized crime, having published 30+ books about the Mafia and Mafia type criminal
organizations. 68 Nicaso regularly consults governments and law enforcement agencies around
the world, as well as lectures at the Italian School of Middlebury College, St Jerome’s
University, and others. 69
Aside from educating, Nicaso is the President of Centro Scuola e Cultura. 70 He sits on
the Advisory Board of the Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights in Toronto, the
International Advisory Council of the Italian Institute of Strategic Studies in Italy, and the Expert
Advisory Committee on Bullying, Intimidation and Gang Violence located in Montreal. 71
At Queen’s University, Nicaso teaches “The Social History of Organized Crime in

Canada” and “Mafia Culture and the Power of Symbols, Rituals, and Myth.” 72
Expert #3: James Forest, Ph.D
Dr. James Forest, Ph.D answered a series of questions via email. He is a professor at the
University of Massachusetts where he teaches undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degree
courses on terrorism and counterterrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and contemporary
security studies in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies. 73
Outside of his education profession, Forest holds a high security clearance that allows
him to contribute to the teaching and research needs of the US Special Operations Forces. 74 He
is a senior fellow with the Joint Special Operations University and has previously taught at West
68
“Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.” Antonio Nicaso | Department of Languages,
Literatures and Cultures, www.queensu.ca/llcu/llcu-languages-literatures-and-cultures/people/antonio-nicaso.
69
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70
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71
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72
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73
“James Forest, Ph.D.” James Forest, Ph.D. | Faculty, Staff and Affiliates | Center for Terrorism &
Security Studies | UMass Lowell, www.uml.edu/Research/CTSS/faculty/James-Forest.aspx.
74
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23
Point University. 75 Dr Forest has published 20 books relating to transnational organized crime,
terrorism, and his many other areas of expertise. 76 His esteemed career has led Dr Forest being
bestowed the following awards: 77
● Superior Civilian Service Award (2010), Leadership - Department of the Army

● America's most esteemed terrorism and national security expert (2006), Service,
Community - Foreign Policy Magazine
● Commander's Award for Public Service (2005), Leadership - Department of Army
● Commander's Award for Civilian Service (2004), Leadership - Department of Army
● Achievement Medal for Civilian Service (2003), Service, Community - Department of the
Army
● Mary T. Kinnane Award for Excellence in Higher Education (1998),
Scholarship/Research - Boston College
Dr Forest answered a series of questions via email as well as provided resources for
extended research. He was an incredible asset to this academic paper.
Expert #4: Vesna Markovic, Ph.D
Dr Markovic is an assistant professor and assistant Dean at the University of New Haven.
78
She teaches in the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences. 79 She
holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Illinois, A Master of Art in
Criminal Justice from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D from Sam Houston State University.
80
Markovic teaches undergraduate, Masters and Ph.D courses in Statistics, Homeland Security
and Terrorism, Transnational Crime, and Criminological Theory.
75
ibid
76
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77
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78
“Vesna Markovic, Ph.D.” University of New Haven, www.newhaven.edu/faculty-staff-profiles/vesna-
markovic.php/.
79
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80
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24
Prior to her teaching career, Markovic worked as a private investigator regarding

corporate due diligence and competitive intelligence investigations for three years. 81 She has
also worked for the Institute for the Study of Violent Groups (ISVG). 82
Dr. Markovic has published multiple articles for international organization, such as
NATO, relating to terrorism and organized crime. 83 She has presented in conferences and
lectures for NATO, among other organizations, as well as participated in funded research for
varying universities and the US government. 84
Dr Markovic answered a series of questions via email as well as provided resources for
extended research. She was an invaluable asset to this complex report.
Expert #5: Philip Boyle Ph.D
Philip Boyle, Ph.D is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Legal
Studies at University of Waterloo. 85 His PhD is from the University of Alberta, and he has used
it to be a visiting scholar and postdoctoral fellow at Temple University in Philadelphia and
Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. 86
Dr Boyle teaches undergraduate courses on organized crime, graduate courses on urban
security governance and governmentality, and a separate course on big data and privacy at the
Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business at University of Waterloo. 87
Professor Boyle was spoken to via phone on April 3rd, 2019.
Expert #6: Eric Olson
Mr. Eric Olson is an Associate Director at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, based out of
Washington, DC. The Woodrow Wilson Centre, established by Congress in 1968, is the official
81
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82
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83
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84
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85
“Philip J. Boyle.” University of Waterloo, uwaterloo.ca/scholar/pjboyle/home.
86
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87
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25
memorial for former US President Woodrow Wilson. 88 The Wilson Centre is “a gathering place
for some of the best and brightest scholars and experts from around the world.” 89 At the
Woodrow Wilson Centre, “preeminent scholars and experts research topics of national and
international relevance” in order to “build a bridge between the worlds of academia and public
policy” that will “inform and develop solutions to the nation’s problems and challenges.” 90 This
is done through “public meetings and events, broadcast media and social media, publications in
print and online, and a wide range of outreach activities.” 91
Mr Eric Olson worked at the Wilson Centre for 11 years, serving as the Deputy Director
of the Latin America Program until November 2018. 92 He now works on multiple freelance
projects and is still a primary consultant for the Wilson Centre and its Latin America Program. 93
Mr Olson is an expert in Defense, Border Security, International Security, Organized
Crime, Crime, Drugs, Migration, and Latin America. 94 For his work, Wilson has traveled to
Mexico, Honduras, and many other countries internationally. 95 He has testified before the US
Congress, worked at the Organization of American States, and was an employee of Amnesty
International from 2002-2006, working as the Advocacy Director for the Americas. 96
Eric Olson was spoken to via telephone on March 12th, 2019.
Expert #7: James Dubro
James Dubro is a highly respected and deeply educated Canadian crime writer,
documentarian, and author. 97 Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1946, Dubro has been educated
at both Boston University (undergraduate degree) and Columbia University (Master’s degree).
88
“About the Wilson Center.” Wilson Center, 26 Feb. 2019, www.wilsoncenter.org/about-the-wilson-
center.
89
ibid
90
ibid
91
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92
Olson, Eric. Personal Interview. 12 March, 2019.
93
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94
“Eric L. Olson.” Wilson Center, 23 Jan. 2019, www.wilsoncenter.org/person/eric-l-olson.
95
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96
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97
“Dubro, James.” Crime Writers of Canada - Dubro, James, www.crimewriterscanada.com/dubro-james.
26
98
In addition, he has done graduate work at the esteemed Harvard University. 99 Dubro has
written five bestselling books on organized crime in Canada, as well as assisted the production of
many renowned television documentaries, most notably for CBC and CITY-TV. 100
Today, Dubro contributes to magazines such as Canadian Business, Icon, Hamilton

Magazine, Xtra, Toronto Life, and NOW. 101 Up until this point in his lengthy career, Dubro has
been awarded the following honours: 102
● Winner, ANIK and Gemini for Best Documentary for Connections (1977-79)
● Shortlisted, Gemini for Best Documentary for The KGB Connections (CBC, 1983)
● Centre for Investigative Journalism award for best investigative article for “Life inside
the Mob” (Toronto Life, 1985)
● Shortlisted, Arthur Ellis Award for Best True Crime, 1988, for King of the Mob
(Viking/Penguine)(co-authored with Robin Rowland)
● Shortlisted, Arthur Ellis Award for Best True Crime, 1992, Undercover: Cases of the
RCMP’s Most Secret Operative (Octopus)(co-authored with Robin Rowland)
Mr Dubro was interviewed over the phone on March 15th, 2019. He provided an abundant
amount of information and was able to provide insight that professors and employee’s of
organizations could not. His knowledge and experience gained from years of researching for
freelance work provide a valued, unique perspective to this academic paper.
How Experts are Utilized
The consultation and teachings of educated experts was an invaluable component of this
academic report. All seven of these experts will be referenced throughout the paper. Each expert
provided input on a certain aspect of the global issue of organized crime, and their often varying
98
“James Dubro.” Prabook.com, prabook.com/web/james.dubro/2377364.
99
ibid
100
“Dubro, James.” Crime Writers of Canada - Dubro, James, www.crimewriterscanada.com/dubro-
james.
101
ibid
102
ibid
27
opinions drove rich, extensive research on the topic.
The experts, once again, include Dr Eric Carter, Ph.D, Mr Antonio Nicaso, Dr James
Forest, Ph.D, Dr Vesna Markovic, Ph.D, Dr Philip Boyle, Ph.D, Mr Eric Olson, and Mr James
Dubro. Questions of varying topics were answered and elaborately answered by these experts.
These topics include:
● Why organised crime is a global issue

● The general social, political, and economic impacts of organized crime on a global scale
● The general impacts of organized crime in Canada
● The history and origins of organized crime in Canada and abroad
● The influence of organized crime on businesses and the economy in Canada and abroad
● The roles of power and control in relation to the issue of organized crime
● The influence of religion on/in organized crime
● Organized crime “hubs” globally.
● International/Canadian government organizations and government efforts towards
combating organized crime
After being interviewed by a variety of questions via email and phone conversations,
these experts each provided their own unprecedented views on transnational organized crime and
the threats it poses to our world, as well as resources for further inquiry into the concepts and
information they had proposed. Each expert had a specific area of expertise (ex: Eric Olson was
an expert solely on organized crime in Central America/Mexico and its global effects, experts
located in Canada were asked specifically about the Canadian connection to transnational
organized crime, etc. This diversity if inputs is incredibly beneficial and the words/concepts
conveyed by these experts will be cited throughout this academic paper. Full transcripts of the
interviews with these individuals can be found at the following places in the appendix.
Dr Eric Carter, Ph.D: Figure 5
Mr Antonio Nicaso: Figure 6
Dr James Forest, Ph.D: Figure 7

28
Dr Vesna Markovic, Ph.D: Figure 8
Dr Philip Boyle, Ph.D: Figure 9
Mr Eric Olson: Figure 10
Mr James Dubro: Figure 11

29
Role of Control
The role of control refers to who holds the power in a certain situation. For this report, it
will be a discussion of who has power, who needs to acquire, who is invested in obtaining power,
who should be invested in obtaining power, and why this is the case. In relation to organized
crime, this section of the academic report will focus on varying regions of the world that are
affected by organized crime on different levels. The prominence of organized crime in these
regions has a strong influence on the role of control.
When asked “where does the power and control lie relating to issues of organized
crime?”, expert David Carter responded “it varies throughout the world”. While this is a simple
answer, it is the correct answer.
Carter went on to elaborate about the difference between fragile states and solidly based
economic countries. In fragile states, organized crime has control, whereas in nations with a solid
economic and political base, government maintains the power. International organizations serve
as a sort of 3rd party, assisting with what they can in states controlled by organized crime, and
spectating how governmentally controlled states handle organized crime within their own
sovereignty. Two countries, Afghanistan and the United States of America, will be used to
demonstrate the difference in the role of control between fragile states and states with strong
political and economic bases.
A state such as Afghanistan is one controlled by organized crime. It meets all of Carter’s
criteria for a fragile state; it has a weak, corrupt government, a high rate of poverty, and is the
heart of many terrorist organizations. Afghanistan has a major corruption crisis. In 2017, it was
ranked 177th of 180 countries evaluated on government transparency and efforts to end
government corruption by Transparency International. 103 For context, Afghanistan scored
15/100, while #77 ranked China scored 41/100, and #1 ranked New Zealand scored 89/100. 104
As reported by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Index in 2018, ¼ people in
103
Transparency International. “Corruption Perceptions Index 2017.” Www.transparency.org,
www.transparency.org/news/feature/corruption_perceptions_index_2017#table.
104
ibid
30
Afghanistan live in severe poverty, while 56% of the population is poor. 105 The 2017 Global
Terrorism Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace, which is based out of Sydney,
Australia, captures the devastating effects that terrorism has of Afghanistan. In 2018, the Institute
measured that Afghanistan was second only to Iraq in the negative social, political and economic
impacts that terrorism imposed on the country. 106 Organized crime in Afghanistan centers
around the uncontested mass production of one of the world’s deadliest drugs, opium. In 2007,
Afghanistan was the production site of 93% of the world’s opium. 107
All evidence concludes that Afghanistan is a fragile state, one where organized crime has
control. While the Afghan National Police have made significant arrests recently (seizing 155kg
of heroin and hashish on March 5th, 2019 and seizing another 40kg of illicit drugs from March 5-
6th, 2019), they are not able to gain control of this issue. 108 This can be attributed to many
factors, however the most influential are corruption and terrorism. A report by the US Institute of
Peace wrote “....the ANP is riddled with corruption and generally unable to protect Afghan
citizens, control crime, or deal with the growing insurgency” 109 The report also speaks to how
the mass drug production in Afghanistan is funding terrorism, as well as corrupting the Afghan
government. 110 The report states
Afghans believed almost universally that Interior Ministry officials, provincial

police chiefs, and members of the ANP were involved with the drug trade. This
belief was based on widespread reports of senior Interior Ministry officials
accepting large bribes for protecting drug traffickers and for “selling” senior
provincial and district police positions to persons engaged in drug trafficking 111
105
Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (2018). Global Multidimensional Poverty Index
2018: The Most Detailed Picture To Date of the World’s Poorest People, University of Oxford, UK.
106
Institute for Economics & Peace. Global Terrorism Index 2018: Measuring the impact of terrorism,
Sydney, November 2018. Available from: http://visionofhumanity.org/reports (accessed 07/03/2019).
107
Afghanistan; 2007 Annual Opium Poppy Survey Executive Summary. Afghanistan; 2007 Annual Opium
Poppy Survey Executive Summary.
108
“ANP Seized 15Kg of Illicit Drugs in Khost Province.” Afghan National Police Strategy - Ministry of
Interior Affairs MoIA | GIRoA, moi.gov.af/en.
109
Perito, Robert M. Afghanistan’s Police; The Weak Link in Security Sector Reform. United States
Institute of Peace, 2009, Afghanistan’s Police; The Weak Link in Security Sector Reform.
110
ibid
111
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31
Organized crime, especially in Afghanistan, has prominent ties to terrorism and government
corruption, which are primary reasons that organized crime controls the country. In order to
combat this issue, the Afghanistan government must take control. Before the government can
take control, it must purify itself and eliminate all elements of corruption. Next, the government
must rely on developed nations, such as the United States, to help suppress the Taliban to a point
where they can no longer negatively influence the government. It is only at this point that the
Afghan government will be able to properly combat organized crime, which in turn will help to
eliminate terrorism in the region as it destroys the main funding source of the Taliban.
Afghanistan is only one example among many fragile states worldwide. Within these
states, citizens and legitimate government/law enforcement officials are the primary citizens
concerned with organized crime having control of the region. While only locals tend to be
concerned about these issues, the world as a whole must worry. Organized crime, especially in
regions such as Afghanistan where it is allowed to happen without significant resistance, has a
major impact on the world as a whole. This is seen in the effects that Afghan produced drugs
have in other countries, as well as the global effects of terrorism. Concluding, the control of
organized crime in fragile states is a major component to the global issue of organized crime, and
this power must be flipped in order for our world to prosper on social, political, and economic
spectrums.
Contrary to fragile states are flourishing states. These are nations with strong social,
political, and economic bases that are able to implement and enforce policy. An example of such
a country is the United States of America (USA). The USA will be examined in a very similar
light to Afghanistan in order to exclaim the obvious differences between fragile and non-fragile
states, as well as the influences of organized crime within these countries that have a large gap in
their social, political, and economic well beings.
Once again, David Carter defined a fragile state as “those with a weak government
structure, high levels of poverty and corruption. In these states, governments have little control
and terrorism is incredibly prominent.” The United States of America is a polar opposite to this
definition. It is a developed nation with strong social, political, and economic systems in place,
therefore the government has the control rather than organized crime organizations.
32
Within the United States (US), issues such as corruption, poverty, and terrorism are much
less prominent compared to Afghanistan, which allows the United States government to maintain
control over organized crime. In 2017, Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions
Index ranked the United States 16th in the world in terms of government transparency and efforts
to end corruption. 112The US scored 75/100, compared to Afghanistan’s 15/100. 113 According to
a 2018 report by the UN, 18.5 million Americans (5.6%) are living in extreme poverty, while 40
million (12.2%) live in poverty. 114 This is comparable to Afghanistan’s rate of 25% of people
living in severe poverty, and 56% of the population being poor. On the 2018 Global Terrorism
Index, the US ranks 20th with a score of 6.066, compared to Afghanistan’s second place ranking
with a score of 9.391. 115 While this may seem like a high rate for a country where the
government controls organized crime, many acts of terrorism in the US are attributed to violent
acts by individuals or political extremist groups, classified as terrorism, rather than a terrorist
organization as is the case in Afghanistan. A report by the United States Government
Accountability Office in 2017 determined “of the 85 violent extremist incidents that resulted in
death since September 12, 2001, far right wing violent extremist groups were responsible for 62
(73 percent) while radical Islamist violent extremists were responsible for 23 (27 percent).” 116
In all the categories that define a fragile state, the USA scores significantly better than
Afghanistan. These scores reflect the current state of the USA, and demonstrate that the country
has a strong political, economic, and social base, therefore it is not considered a fragile state.
Concluding, Afghanistan and the United States contrast greatly in who has control of the
nation, governments or organized crime. By examining these two countries, the relationship
between the state of a nation and the role of control in that nation is demonstrated. Countries
such as Afghanistan, fragile states with weak political, economic, and social systems, are
112
Transparency International. “Corruption Perceptions Index 2017.” Www.transparency.org,
113
ibid
114
“Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights.” OHCHR,
www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/SRExtremePovertyIndex.aspx.
115
Institute for Economics & Peace. Global Terrorism Index 2018: Measuring the impact of terrorism,
Sydney, November 2018. Available from: http://visionofhumanity.org/reports (accessed 07/03/2019).
116
Countering Violent Extremism: Actions Needed to Define Strategy and Assess Progress of Federal
Efforts. 2017, www.gao.gov/assets/690/683984.pdf.
33
controlled by organized crime. In contrast, government has control in nations that have strong
political, economic, and social systems, like the USA. The role of control relating to the issue of
organized crime is a very important factor if the global community is going to solve this issue.
International Organizations
Transnational organized crime crosses borders, therefore international organizations are

34
an essential component to ending organized crime. Organized crime expert Eric Olson said, on
the topic of international organizations, “ … they can operate in multiple countries and do so
relatively effectively, as far as communication, coordination, and cooperation.” 117 This
encompases the role of international organizations in dealing with organized crime; they provide
communication, coordination and enforce cooperation, however they do very little to create real
change.
Olson also said “None of the international agencies have the capacity to deal with all
these problems (organized crime) on their own.” This point of view was one supported almost
unanimously by the experts interviewed in the research process. Expert James Dubro said “ …
all anyone can do, even with all the money in the world, is get a small portion of it (organized
crime) and keep a lid on some of the more successful criminals.” 118 Dubro is speaking to the
difficulty of combating such a large scale problem, as well as the bureaucracy involved in doing
so. The hindrance that bureaucracy places on organized crime is tremendous, most relevantly in
the difficulty of combating organized crime when it crosses borders, thus making it transnational.
Mr Antonio Nicaso spoke of how it is “difficult to build an international partnership, because of
sovereignty and different judicial systems ….” 119 These experts have captured the difficulty
involved in fighting transnational organized crime, and as a result, the ineffectiveness of
international organizations.
The biggest international organization working to combat transnational organized crime

in the United Nations through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The
UNODC was established in 1997, since when it has operated worldwide through field offices in
multiple nations. 120 Figure 12 in the appendix shows the structure of the UNODC. The mandate
of UNODC is to “assist Member States in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime and
terrorism”. 121 This Office focuses on three main platforms in their fight against crime, which
122
are:
117
118
Dubro, James. Personal Interview. 15 March, 2019.
119
120
Nancy.cao. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” About UNODC,
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/index.html.
121
ibid
122
ibid
35
● Field-based technical cooperation projects to enhance the capacity of Member

States to counteract illicit drugs, crime and terrorism
● Research and analytical work to increase knowledge and understanding of drugs

and crime issues and expand the evidence base for policy and operational
decisions
● Normative work to assist States in the ratification and implementation of the

relevant international treaties, the development of domestic legislation on drugs,
crime and terrorism, and the provision of secretariat and substantive services to
the treaty-based and governing bodies
The UNODC’s primary goal relating to transnational organized crime is assisting

countries in combating the issue. In order to do this, the UNODC analyzes each individual
country, determines their strengths and weaknesses relating to the issue, and implements
specified plans of combating organized crime in that country. 123 To fully ensure the accuracy of
this plan, the UNODC takes into account “existing strategies of national authorities, operational
procedures, legal system, human and technical resources, existing approaches to interagency and
regional cooperation as well as cultural and political contexts”. 124 In order to implement their
extensive, critically thought out plans, the UNODC uses a variety of technical assistance tools.
125
These tools include handbooks and training manuals for those involved in fighting organized
crime, the creation of model laws, digests of relevant case law and legal commentaries,
international cooperation resources, and many more. 126
In addition to country specified technical support, the UNODC has established many
generalized reports and platforms. The most important of these is the United Nations Convention
against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols. Established on November 15th, 2000
by the United Nations General Assembly, this convention is recognized as the “main
123
Ricardo.peixoto. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Technical Assistance,
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/organized-crime/technical-assistance.html.
124
Nancy.cao. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” About UNODC,
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/index.html.
125
Ricardo.peixoto. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Technical Assistance,
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/organized-crime/technical-assistance.html.
126
ibid
36
international instrument in the fight against transnational organized crime.” 127 Member nations
who ratified this document benefitted from many new tools to fight transnational organized
crime, including
the creation of domestic criminal offences (participation in an organized criminal

group, money laundering, corruption and obstruction of justice); the adoption of
new and sweeping frameworks for extradition, mutual legal assistance and law
enforcement cooperation; and the promotion of training and technical assistance
for building or upgrading the necessary capacity of national authorities. 128
This document has been the primary building block for the UNODC’s fight against transnational
organized crime. It is the referred to platform for member states on how to combat transnational
organized crime, a battle that is often limited due to sovereignty and bureaucracy.
Another important, related platform in the battle against transnational organized crime is
Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime. 129 The protocols of this conference are detailed in Article 32 of the United Nations
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols, and this article can be
found at figure 13 in the appendix. 130 This article outlined a mandatory conference one year
from the ratification of the convention, in order to agree upon terms of the issues outlined in
paragraphs 3 and 4 of the 32nd article. 131 Since this initial conference, the Conference of the
Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime has continued
to meet in order to review the effectiveness of the United Nations Convention against
Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols, as well as make amends to the convention. 132
Additionally, the conference has developed sub committees, such as the Working Group on
Trafficking in Persons and the Working Group on Smuggling of Migrants, that function as
127
Antoaneta.seitz. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” UNODC and Organized Crime,
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/organized-crime/intro.html.
128
Alexander.sauer. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” United Nations Convention against
Transnational Organized Crime, www.unodc.org/unodc/en/organized-crime/intro/UNTOC.html.
129
Agustina.diaz-Rhein. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Conference of the Parties to
UNTOC, www.unodc.org/unodc/en/organized-crime/intro/conference-of-the-parties.html.
130
ibid
131
ibid
132
ibid
37
bodies to scrutinize specific areas of organized crime. 133 Together, the United Nations
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols and the Conference of the
Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime have worked
together to combat transnational organized crime through the unification of member states,
however the mass negative effect these illicit groups continue to have internationally is
unquestionable, meaning that international organizations such as the United Nations must to
more to combat transnational organized crime.
Case Studies
a) El Salvador
133
ibid
38
El Salvador, the smallest yet most densely populated country in Central America, was
founded in 1821 after declaring independence from Spain. 134 The country is bordered by
Honduras to the north and east, Guatemala to the northwest, and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
135
After declaring its independence from Spain, El Salvador underwent many periods of change,
however the civil war of the late 1900’s has largely shaped the country in terms of how it exists
today. 136
From 1979 to 1992, the Salvadoran Civil War was taking place in El Salvador, a conflict
fought between the right wing government of El Salvador and the left wing organization
“Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)”. 137 During the war, children were
recruited as soldiers by both combatant sides, 80,000 soldiers and civilians were killed, and half
the population of El Salvador fled, many of which settled in Los Angeles, California. 138 On
January 16th, 1992, a peace agreement was signed, bringing an end to a conflict of over 12 years.
139
Effects of this war have lingered in the country, most notably bringing the threat of organized
crime out of the shadows and into power.
During the Salvadoran civil war, countless El Salvadorans fled the country and settled in
Los Angeles. 140 After relocating, many of these people became involved in the gangs that were
growing exponentially in the United States at the time. 141 In 1996, the United States passed the
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which forced the deportation of
“Immigrants--documented or undocumented--with criminal records at the end of their jail
sentences”. 142 As a result, many El Salvadorans with violent criminal records and gang ties
134
Browning, David G., et al. “El Salvador.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 24 Apr.
2019, www.britannica.com/place/El-Salvador.
135
ibid
136
ibid
137
Wood, Elizabeth Jean. “Insurgent Collective Action and Civil War in El Salvador.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge
University Press, www.cambridge.org/core/books/insurgent-collective-action-and-civil-war-in-el-
salvador/70D35F82CEEB47F2F14957EE31B5BFD6.
138
Dickson-Gomez, Julia. “Growing Up in Guerrilla Camp: The Long-Term Impact of Being a Child Soldier in El
Salvador's Civil War.” PhilPapers, Dec. 2002, philpapers.org/rec/DICGUI-2.
139
“El Salvador Profile.” InSight Crime, 30 Jan. 2018, www.insightcrime.org/el-salvador-organized-crime-news/el-
salvador/#Groups.
140
Garsd, Jasmine. “How El Salvador Fell Into A Web Of Gang Violence.” NPR, NPR, 5 Oct. 2015,
www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/10/05/445382231/how-el-salvador-fell-into-a-web-of-gang-violence.
141
ibid
142
Zilberg, Elana, et al. Youth, Globalization, and the Law. 2007, www.worldcat.org/title/youth-globalization-and-
the-law/oclc/67392766.
39
brought these new ideologies home with them. Gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and
18th Street/ Barrio 18 (M-18), which are rival gangs, now populate the streets of El Salvador. 143
As of 2012, MS-13 had 12,000 members in El Salvador, while M-18 had 8,000-10,000. 144
In addition to the transnational spreading of American gangs as a result of the Salvadoran
civil war, the Cold War had strong effects on the influence of organized crime in El Salvador
today. The Salvadoran civil war took place during the latter part of the Cold War, and based on
its geographical position, El Salvador was a country of value that both the Soviet Union (USSR)
and the USA wished to control. 145 The USSR funded the leftist FMLN, while the United States
strongly supported the El Salvador government and military. 146 Within El Salvador, Cold War
combatants established shipping routes for weapons and people, routes that survived the end of
the conflict. 147 Today, these networks are controlled by organized crime groups that are often
under the control of former military of FMLN members that defaulted to organized crime after
the peace agreement. 148
Gangs established through US influence and networks created by Cold War combatants
show that organized crime in El Salvador has been established by transnational impacts, and
today have a devastating effect on the wellbeing of El Salvador as a whole. Violence and
corruption plague the country’s streets, while the foreign nations who influenced the creation of
this problem fail to offer El Salvador, a developing nation, assistance in combating the largest
source of oppression to its economic flourishment.
El Salvador is a country rich with violence as a result of the mass amount of gang activity
within the country. In 2010, El Salvador had the second highest murder rate internationally with
65 murders per 100,000 people. 149 Gangs in El Salvador, notably MS-13 and M-18, are
143
144
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “Transnational Organized Crime in Central America and the
Caribbean; A Threat Assessment.” United Nations, Sept. 2012,
www.occrp.org/REPORTS/TOC_Central_America_and_the_Caribbean_english.pdf.
145
“Organized Crime in Central America.” Wilson Center, 11 June 2014, www.wilsoncenter.org/event/organized-
crime-central-america
146
ibid
147
ibid
148
ibid
149
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “Transnational Organized Crime in Central America and the
Caribbean; A Threat Assessment.” United Nations, Sept. 2012,
40
incredibly territorial and defensive of that territory. 150 In 2015, a 15 year old girl was shot for
attempting to sell tortillas in the territory of the gang rival to the one who controlled the territory
in which she lived. 151 In the same year, a banana salesman was killed in the central market of
San Salvador (the country’s capital) as a result of his employer refusing to pay an increased fee
to the gang operating in the area. 152 In these two seperate example, and countless other
instances, innocent people are being killed by gangs for territorial, monetary, and sometimes
political reasons that those killed in fact had no involvement in. In addition to murder, extortion
and corrupting legal or political officials are crimes often committed by organized crime groups
in El Salvador. El Salvador has approximately 16,000 officers within the National Civil Police, a
dangerous job that begins at the wage of $500 USD per month, significantly lower than the
median of $1,625 USD monthly. 153 As a result of low wages, officers often support or facilitate
organized crime in order to profit healthily. Police issued firearms are often seen on the black
market or in the hands of gang members. 154 The judicial system is also victim of corruption
within El Salvador. Judges often accept bribes or succumb to extortion at the hands of organized
crime groups. 155 In 2012, up to 80% of the country’s judges were under investigation for
accusations of corruption and favouritism towards organized crime groups. 156 Political
corruption is also common in El Salvador, and is seen by the presence of political parties whose
vote is popular in one centralized area, and nowhere else in the country. 157 Other activities of El
Salvador’s gangs include narcotics distribution and trafficking, kidnapping, and other violent
crimes. The brutality behind these crimes and the groups executing them are a primary reason for
the lack of social, political, and economic wellbeing in El Salvador.
El Salvador’s gangs are seen as unable to independently operate effectively and
efficiently on an international stage due to a lack of discipline and sophistication required to
150
151
ibid
152
ibid
153
salvador/#Groups.
154
ibid
155
ibid
156
ibid
157
41
make partnerships. 158 As a result, these gangs are often used as pawns by larger, more organized
and transnationally operating crime groups, while the country of El Salvador itself is a “pipeline
where there are different nodes where you can pop things in, and be sure that the product
[cocaine, immigrants, or money flows] will be delivered on the other side of the border.” 159
Groups who use El Salvador and its domestic gangs to meet a larger agenda are the Zetas and
Sinaloa Cartel from Mexico. These influential groups use El Salvador’s gangs to ensure safe
transportation of product through the country, and to scare away any potential competition. 160 In
addition, the Zetas have previously recruited upper level gang members, mostly from MS-13, in
order to gain the contacts, markets, and security arrangements that these leaders possess within
the United States as a result of their origin within the country. 161
El Salvador’s geographic position, especially its inclusion within the Northern Triangle,
make it a primary region for the trafficking of many illicit goods and services. The Northern
Triangle of Central America, which is geographically a part of North America, consists of the
countries El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. 162 Geographically, the region features many
prime transportation routes for legitimate and illicit goods, such as the northern route through
Mexico and into countries such as the USA and Canada. 163 In addition, the region's location
between Columbia and Mexico premeditatively ensures that a substantial amount of illicit goods
flow through the region on their way from one crime controlled state to the next. 164 The
Northern Triangle region possesses a great deal on domestic organized crime groups that
negatively affect the wellbeing of people, politics, and the economy within El Salvador,
Guatemala, and Honduras. The region is also a major hub for transnational organized crime,
which uses the region for its transportation routes and mass of domestic organized crime groups,
adding to the global crisis that is transnational organized crime. Figures 14-16 within the
appendix demonstrate cocaine trafficking routes throughout the Northern Triangle countries.
158
salvador/#Groups.
159
160
ibid
161
ibid
162
ibid
163
ibid
164
ibid
42
Figure 17 shows the trafficking flows of women and girls through Central America, most of
which occurs within the Northern Triangle. These maps visualize the quantity of trafficking
routes throughout the Northern Triangle, as well as the violence that follows these routes. Figure
18, a map of homicide rates by municipal area throughout the Northern Triangle, further
visualizes the detrimental effects of drug trafficking. When overlayed with any of figures 14, 15,
16, or 17, figure 18 will clearly demonstrate the direct correlation between cocaine trafficking
routes and death, and as an extension, organized crime and death. Evidently, organized crime in
El Salvador extends transnationally through its relationship to sophisticated groups based around
Latin America and its inclusion within the Northern Triangle, often resulting in dire
consequences for El Salvador’s social, political, and economic well being.
El Salvador is a relatively new country, one that has been populated by organized crime
since the end of its 1992 civil war. As such, the country has had difficulty establishing the proper
political, law enforcement, and judicial systems needed to combat an issue of this magnitude. In
2012, the Salvadoran government accomplished its biggest feat in the fight against organized
crime by organizing a truce between MS-13 and M-18. 165 The truce granted concessions to gang
leaders in prison in exchange for a reduction in violent crimes committed by gang members. 166
As is seen in figure 19, homicide and extortion rates dropped drastically during the time of the
truce, however many questioned if the truce truly showed the El Salvadoran government
forfeiting sovereignty control to the gangs. 167 In 2015, the truce collapsed and El Salvador’s
homicide rates spiked to 100+ per 100,000, the highest in the world at the time. 168 Today, El
Salvador often must use its military members in police roles in order to meet the demands of
public safety at the hands of organized crime. 169 Corruption among the law enforcement,
political, and legal systems remains a major issue for El Salvador. International organizations
offer little to no support for the weak government.
165
“El Salvador Profile.” InSight Crime, 30 Jan. 2018, www.insightcrime.org/el-salvador-organized-crime-
news/el-salvador/#Groups.
166
ibid
167
Agt. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Search,
www.unodc.org/unodc/search.html?q=el%2Bsalvador%2Bhomicide%2Brates.
168
salvador/#Groups.
169
ibid
43
Overall, El Salvador’s weak political and legal structure, combined with the power of
organized crime in the country and the mass amount of corruption that exists, make it difficult to
combat such an issue. Additional funding for police services, as well as support to firmly
establish the political and legal systems within the country, would be great strides towards
eliminating organized crime within El Salvador and therefore putting a dent in transnational
organized crime, however the country seems unable to take these strudes on its own and
currently survives on a day to day basis. In order to prosper and eliminate the greatest threat to
its country's well being, El Salvador must receive outside help, from a foreign government or
international organization, in order to eliminate the problem brought to them by world
superpowers decades ago.
b) Nigeria
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a geographically and demographically diverse country

located on the west coast of Africa. 170 Hundreds of languages are spoken and varying climates
170
Ajayi, J.F. Ade, et al. “Nigeria.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 24 Apr. 2019,
www.britannica.com/place/Nigeria.
44
are present in the natural resource rich nation. 171 Historically, Nigeria was colonized by the
British into North and South Nigeria, which merged in 1960 to become the independent nation of
Nigeria. 172 Today, Nigeria is bordered by Niger in the north, Chad and Cameroon to the east, the
Gulf of Guinea as an extension of the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and Benin to the west. 173
Nigeria is Africa’s largest country in terms of population, and has a land area greater than the
state of Texas. 174
Organized crime in Nigeria primarily rose from the structure of the country’s post
colonialism government. 175 Stephen Ellis, a renowned historian and the author of This Present
Darkness: A History of Nigerian Organised Crime, states within his book that the practices of
fraud and embezzlement were critical to early Nigeria surviving economically as a state. 176
Government structure allowed regional leaders to be unaccountable to their actions, causing
many to utilize organized crime as a way towards power and wealth. 177 Organized crime
continued to develop steadily within the country, spiking in growth once more during and
directly after the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). 178 The civil war allowed smuggling
operations to expand unopposed, in part due to a lack of law enforcement capabilities, however
the status of Nigeria’s currency also played a large role in this expansion. 179 During the civil
war, Nigeria’s currency was profoundly overvalued due to the countries “oil-backed status”,
which refers to a state’s economic dependence on oil and how this dependence portrays the
country on an international scale. 180 Imports to Nigeria skyrocketed as the misestimation of the
country’s dollar allowed the government to acquire goods in quantities it had never seen before,
therefore smuggling operations expanded with the rise of imports to the country. 181
Globalization has been a major factor in the transnational expansion of Nigerian organized crime
171
ibid
172
ibid
173
ibid
174
ibid
175
“Tracing the Origins of Nigerian Organized Crime: Politics, Corruption and the Growth of Criminal Networks.”
Chatham House, 7 Dec. 2018, www.chathamhouse.org/event/tracing-origins-nigerian-organized-crime-politics-
corruption-and-growth-criminal-networks.
176
ibid
177
ibid
178
ibid
179
ibid
180
ibid
181
ibid
45
groups. The increase in ability to exercise influence within foreign states has prominently
benefitted Nigerian organized crime groups, who operate largely outside on their domestic
territory and are highly sophisticated compared to the networks of other impoverished, third
world countries. 182
Organized crime in Nigeria and from Nigerian organized crime groups facilitate criminal
activities including, but not limited to, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and cyber
crime operating across more than 80 countries worldwide, Nigerian organized crime are effective
and impactful transnationally. 183 In 2011, West Africans, notably those from Nigeria, made up
30% (1,892/6,336) of foreigners arrested for cocaine trafficking in Germany, Italy, Switzerland,
and Portugal combined. 184 From January to May of 2011, 46% of West African heroin
traffickers from West Africa that were arrested in Italy were of Nigerian nationality. 185Between
2008-2011, 265 Nigerians acting as couriers for methamphetamines travelling to Malaysia were
arrested, an average of 66.25 per year. 186 Nigeria is regarded as the centre of one of West
Africa’s three major hubs for the reception and redistribution of cocaine. 187 Nigerian organized
crime groups have a strong influence on the distribution of narcotics along the East Atlantic
seaboard, throughout Europe, in almost every country within East Africa, and in Japan, the
Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and many more countries internationally.
Figure 20 demonstrates the trafficking routes used by Nigerian organized crime groups to
distribute cocaine, and often other narcotics, after the have been produced in and transported
from South America.
In addition to drug trafficking, Nigerian organized crime groups are heavily involved in
human trafficking. Figures 21 and 22 detail the major routes for migrant smuggling from West
Africa to Europe. As is evident from these cartographic portrayals, Nigeria and its organized
crime groups reside over significant portions of the human/migrant trafficking/migration routes
within West Africa. By protecting and utilizing these routes, Nigerian organized crime groups
182
ISSAfrica.org. “Where in Africa Is Organised Crime Most Serious?” ISS Africa, 11 July 2018, issafrica.org/iss-
today/where-in-africa-is-organised-crime-most-serious.
183
“Organized Crime.” FBI, FBI, 3 May 2016, www.fbi.gov/investigate/organized-crime.
184
Transnational Organized Crime in West Africa: A Threat Assessment. 2013, www.unodc.org/documents/data-
and-analysis/tocta/West_Africa_TOCTA_2013_EN.pdf.
185
ibid
186
ibid
187
ibid
46
are able to heavily profit from the human trafficking industry as well as exert their influence
transnationally. In terms of numbers of illicit migrants from West African countries to Spain,
Italy, Malta, and Greece, Nigerian natives accounted for 29%, second only to those of
Senegalese nationality (31%). 188 Migrants are often smuggled through north-eastern Nigeria en
route to Greece. 189 A mass of potential routes and customers concludes in a strong influence
from Nigerian organized crime groups within the human trafficking industry which, when
combined with their substantial participation in the drug trafficking industry, result in a global
dominance within transnational organized crime networks.
Within Nigeria itself, organized crime is still a prevalent issue that affects the state itself,
as well as the region of West Africa. Today, about 70% of illicit small arms within West Africa
are located in Nigeria. 190 As an effect, Nigeria has a 9.85 people per 100,000, comparable to
other West African countries such as Benin (6.18), Burkina Faso (0.37), and Liberia (3.23). 191
The mass amount of small arms that is present in Nigeria as a result of organized crime has
detrimental consequences for the country’s citizens, the worst of which being death.
Economically, oil theft of up to 100,000 barrels per day have serious impacts on the economy of
Nigeria. In today’s market, 100,000 barrels of oil cost USD $6,140,000. When considered that
this happens every day in the West African nation, the Nigerian economy loses USD
$2,241,100,000 annually to organized crime groups in relation to oil thefts. 192 This equals about
0.6% of Nigeria’s annual GDP, which, while a seemingly low number, is a significant amount of
money that could be attributed to increased security or efforts to combat organized crime, and
would go a long way towards doing so. 193 Political corruption in Nigeria has historically been
and remains a major threat to the nation’s wellbeing. Between 1960 and 1999, an estimated USD
188
ibid
189
ibid
190
Bonsoh, David. “The Effects of Transnational Organized Crime in Nigeria (David Kwabena Bonsoh).”
Academia.edu,
www.academia.edu/33776805/The_Effects_of_Transnational_Organized_Crime_in_Nigeria_David_Kwabena_Bon
soh_.
191
UNODC Global Study on Homicide 2013 (United Nations publication, Sales No. 14.IV.1)
192
“Crude Oil Prices - 70 Year Historical Chart.” MacroTrends, www.macrotrends.net/1369/crude-oil-price-
history-chart.
193
“Nigeria GDP.” Nigeria GDP | 2019 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News,
tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/gdp.
47
$400 billion was stolen from the country’s budget by political leaders. 194 Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s
President from 1993-1998, stole 2-3% of the country’s GDP during each year of his tenure for
personal benefit. 195 While on a lesser scale than that of history, Nigeria’s 27th place rank on the
2017 Corruptions Perception Index by Transparency International demonstrates that political
corruption exists in the West African nation to this day, and is a major enabler of organized
crime in the country. 196 Overall, Nigerian organized crime groups have detrimental effects to the
social, political, and economic wellbeing of their home nation and countless sovereignties abroad
and are continuing to grow their power and influence at an exponential pace.
In terms of combating organized crime domestically, the Nigerian authorities have been
very limited in their efforts. Legislation is constantly being passed by the Nigerian government
with the hopes of limiting organized crime groups. The Penal Code Act, Criminal Code Act,
Money Laundering Decree (1995), Anti Corruption Act (2000), and the Firearms Act, among
many others, have all proved very limited in their ability to combat organized crime groups.
197
Institutions such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have been established to
limit the operative capabilities of organized crime groups, however, similar to legislation, these
institutions are largely ineffective. 198 The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has
suggested the following solutions to combat organized crime in Nigeria, and West Africa as a
whole. 199
1. Mobilize States of the region to provide valid and reliable data, in order to better
assess and analyze drug trafficking, organized crime and drug abuse problems
affecting the region.
194
Ragnhild.johansen. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” Nigeria's Corruption Busters,
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/nigerias-corruption-busters.html.
195
ibid
196
e.V., Transparency International. “Corruption Perceptions Index 2017.” Www.transparency.org,
197
NgorNgor, Awunah Donald. “EFFECTIVE METHODS TO COMBAT TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED
CRIME IN CRIMINAL JUSITICE PROCESSES: THE NIGERIAN PERSPECTIVE.” Unafei,
www.unafei.or.jp/publications/pdf/RS_No58/No58_16PA_NgorNgor.pdf.
198
ibid
199
Transnational Organized Crime in West Africa: A Threat Assessment. 2013, www.unodc.org/documents/data-
and-analysis/tocta/West_Africa_TOCTA_2013_EN.pdf.
48
2. Improve regional and international coordination efforts in dealing with the drug
problem, as well as with respect to all related organized crimes in the region,
through facilitating the exchange of criminal intelligence.
3. Fight impunity through the harmonization of national legislation and strengthen
current legal frameworks in order to effectively sentence identified criminals.
4. Create, strengthen and mobilize synergies between relevant law enforcement
structures to better respond to the threat of drug trafficking and TOC.
5. Develop integrated programmes to combat drug trafficking and organized crime
at the national and regional levels in full coherence with existing international
standards.
6. Focus on financial flows related to drug trafficking and transnational organized
crime in order to cut off sources of funding.
7. Facilitate quality drug treatment and rehabilitation services to contribute to the
reduction of demand for illicit drugs, HIV transmission amongst drug users, drug-
related crimes, incarceration and recidivism.
While these suggestions are surely a step towards limiting the detrimental social,
political, and economic impacts that organized crime imposes on Nigeria itself, this issue
spans international borders and therefore can only be solved when solutions from a
multitude of angles are employed.
Organized crime in Nigeria remains a major problem for the country itself, as well
as the rest of the world, on whom the effects are strongly imposed. Nigerian organized
crime groups are notoriously fluid in their ability to operate without borders. In addition
to the major crisis organized crime in Nigeria presents domestically, it presents an
international catastrophe with resounding effects around the globe. No single solution
exists to completely eliminate this vast, international crisis, however remedies to reduce
the impacts of transnational organized crime groups will be further explored in the
“Solutions” section of this academic paper.
In conclusion, Nigerian organized crime groups present a major problem for the nation
itself, but more so for the world as a whole. These groups operate transnationally with ease,
resulting in resounding negative effects on the social, political, and economic well beings of
49
nations around the world. The ability of such syndicates to operate without borders makes it
difficult for the sovereignty of Nigeria to combat these organizations on their own, therefore
international cooperation is critical. In order for Nigeria and countless other nations around the
globe to prosper socially, politically, and economically, the global issue of transnational
organized crime must be resolved to the point where sovereignties can dominate over organized
crime rather than organized crime dominating sovereignties, as is the current dynamic of the
world.
c) Russia
Russia, formerly known as the Soviet Union, is located in the Northeastern hemisphere,
with the capital city of Moscow being located at 55.7558° N, 37.6173° E. Organized crime in
Russia has a deep history, however modern organized crime in Russia truly began in 1991 with
the collapse of the Soviet Union. As the former superpower began to collapse, government
officials became increasingly corrupt in favour of organized crime groups, notably the Russian
mafia. 200 Upon the collapse of the USSR, a major power gap existed within Russia. 201 The
Russian mafia, which had struggles greatly during times of communism, flourished by stepping
into a position of power. 202 Ex KGB agents, military, and police personnel looking for steady
200
“Consequences of the Collapse of the Soviet Union.” Norwich University Online, online.norwich.edu/academic-
programs/resources/consequences-of-the-collapse-of-the-soviet-union.
201
ibid
202
ibid
50
work fled to the ranks of the mafia, all while wealthy mafia members purchased former
government infrastructure for cheap prices. 203 Suddenly, the mafia had incredibly strong ranks,
controlled telecommunications, energy networks, security services, and much more without
restrictions by any sort of government or law enforcement system. 204
While the former Soviet Union re-established itself as Russia, organized crime continued
to grow. Futile efforts, including raids by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on those involved
with organized crime groups and legislation passed in 2014 designed to punish organized crime
bosses, have been taken over the years to combat this issue domestically, however the rapid rise
to power of criminal organizations in the early 1990’s has cemented organized crime groups as
significant to the power structure of Russia for years to come. 205 Today, organized crime in
Russia generate billions of dollars per year, the biggest of these groups being the Solntsevskaya
Bratva with earnings of $8.5 billion per year. 206
Within Russia, organized crime is structured in a way that the Moscow based Russian
Mafia, a highly connected organization with substantial political influence, is the head of the
majority of organized crime groups in the nation. 207 The Russian mafia is connected to minor
organized crime groups based on either ethnicity, family ties, or geography, and supports them
through political cover, financial aid, and/or organizational oversight. 208 Organized crime groups
gain or lose power based on the political landscape of the country, making identifying a singular
kingpin difficult. 209 Regardless, organized crime groups in Russia are all strongly connected,
making eliminating the problem incredibly difficult for the Eurasian country.
In geographical terms, Russia is efficiently located in and around many significant global
trafficking routes for a range of illicit commodities, the most popular of which is opium related
203
ibid
204
ibid
205
Galeotti, Mark. “Gangster's Paradise: How Organised Crime Took over Russia.” The Guardian, Guardian News
and Media, 23 Mar. 2018, www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/23/how-organised-crime-took-over-russia-vory-
super-mafia. ;
The Moscow Times. “Russian Lawmakers Pass Bill to Punish Organized Crime Bosses.” The Moscow Times, The
Moscow Times, 9 May 2019, www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/03/27/russian-lawmakers-pass-bill-punishing-
organized-crime-bosses-a64978.
206
“Fortune 5: The Biggest Organized Crime Groups in the World.” Fortune, fortune.com/2014/09/14/biggest-
organized-crime-groups-in-the-world/.
207
Stratfor. “Organized Crime in Russia.” Stratfor, Stratfor, 16 Apr. 2008,
worldview.stratfor.com/article/organized-crime-russia.
208
ibid
209
ibid
51
drugs. Each year, $1.4 billion worth of opium passes through Russia on its way from
Afghanistan to Europe. 210 As a crossroads between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Russia is
located so that the shipping, receiving, and distribution of illicit goods can happen quickly and
efficiently. 211 Ports located on the Baltic and White seas give tremendous assistance to this
efficient process. 212The Russian mafia has used this geographical benefit in order to establish
strong relationships with other organized crime powers worldwide; the Chinese Triads, the
Japanese Yakuza, the Sicilian mafia “La Cosa Nostra”, multiple Colombian drug cartels, and
many more influential organized crime groups have strong relationships with Russian organized
crime groups. 213
Under the Vladimir Putin regime, government corruption at the hands of organized crime
has been no secret internationally. President Putin keeps close to him many wealthy Russian
oligarchs, which is unusual for a Constitutional Republic. Many suspect that these wealthy
individuals have ties to organized crime and use their political influence to support their illicit
business operations, however evidence rarely comes to light. Despite inability to prove the
wrongdoings of these oligarchs, many Russian politicians have been exposed as corrupt. In 2016,
Col Dmitry Zakharchenko’s apartment was raided. 214 At the time, Mr Zakharchenko was the
acting head of the police force’s anti-corruption division. 215 He was found with $123 million
USD in cash, which he was holding for an organized crime group known as “Oboroten”. 216 In
another instance that happened in 2019, Russian Senator Rauf Arashukov was arrested of
charges of murder and witness tampering related to organized crime activities. 217 The former
210
“Rapid Response UN Support in Security, Crime, Terrorism, Conflict.” Rapid Response UN Support in Security,
Crime, Terrorism, Conflict, www.rhipto.org/.
211
212
ibid
213
ibid
214
Galeotti, Mark. “Gangster's Paradise: How Organised Crime Took over Russia.” The Guardian, Guardian News
and Media, 23 Mar. 2018, www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/23/how-organised-crime-took-over-russia-vory-
super-mafia.
215
ibid
216
ibid
217
The Moscow Times. “Corruption of Top Officials Signals Government's Overall Decay, Majority of Russians
Say.” The Moscow Times, The Moscow Times, 26 Apr. 2019, www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/02/25/corruption-
of-top-officials-signals-governments-overall-decay-majority-of-russians-say-a64607.
52
mayor of Moscow,Yuri Luzhkov, is well known to have ties to organized crime. 218 He is close
personal friends with Mr Iosif Kobzon, a businessman and singer who is closely tied to
organized crime by foreign intelligence agencies. 219 Luzhkov has responded to these claims by
enforcing policing on the street, boosting the cities law enforcement presence by 5,000 officers
on the streets, however many of these new officers are also known to be involved in corruption
scandals. 220 In 2010, then US ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle, said of Luzhkov, "Luzhkov is
at the top of the pyramid” and he “oversees a system in which it appears that almost everyone at
every level is involved in some form of corruption or criminal behaviour." 221 Luzhkov was
subsequently fired by President Vladimir Putin, however this is seen as a publicity stunt by Putin
in order to protect a greater corruption happening in his country. 222 While Vladimir Putin has
publicly denounced organized crime, introduced legislation to combat the issue, prosecuted
corrupt government officials, and donated to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
many suspect these activities are a publicity cover for his own corruptness. In 1994, Putin
(before he was President, he was serving in the St Petersburg government at the time) awarded a
contract to the Petersburg Fuel Company, which subsequently resulted in mass profits for the
Tambov gang, a group which had ties to Mr Putin. 223
Organized crime in Russia has major influence internationally, and while Russian crime
groups may not directly operate transnationally, their strong ties to other organized crime
superpowers presents a major problem for the world as a whole. These organizations produce,
distribute, and profit from illicit good and services on a massive scale. Russia demonstrates the
deep roots of organized crime in the world today and how difficult eliminating these groups truly
is, especially when they control the actions of significant elected officials. The world, and Russia
itself, must analyze the problems this country faces, and take the necessary steps in order to
218
Luzhkov.", "Yuri. “Yuri Luzhkov.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Encyclopedia.com, 2019,
www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/historians-miscellaneous-biographies/yuri-luzhkov.
219
ibid
220
ibid
221
Harding, Luke. “WikiLeaks Cables: Moscow Mayor Presided over 'Pyramid of Corruption'.” The Guardian,
Guardian News and Media, 1 Dec. 2010, www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/01/wikileaks-cables-moscow-
mayor-corruption.
222
www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/historians-miscellaneous-biographies/yuri-luzhkov.
223
The Evolution of Russian Organised Crime and the Challenge to Democracy. www.e-ir.info/2016/07/31/the-
evolution-of-russian-organised-crime-and-the-challenge-to-democracy/.
53
abolish the organized crime syndicates that harm the globe through its citizens well being, its
political landscape, and its economic prosperity.
Canadian Connection
Within Canada, organized crime has a short history, coming to light in only the early 20th
century. It has quickly developed into the vast network of organized crime families, biker gangs,
and multiple other groups that it is today, all aiming at creating illicit profits in Canada and
abroad. Beginning with the prohibition era, the progression of organized crime in the former
British colony has taken place due to a mixture of foreign policy, domestic policy, international
relationships, and the impact of the most prominent criminal families/organizations. Today,
organized crime in Canada has major impacts both domestically and internationally, on social,
political, and economic scales. While Canada does not have the vast mass of organized crime
groups that the USA and much of the rest of the world does, illicit organizations still exist in the
the first world nation. Overall, the global issue of transnational organized crime does not have
major influences in Canada, however it is still a relevant issue and affects countless Canadians,
both inside and outside of Canada, on a consistent basis.
In 1920, the Unites States of America established national prohibition laws, making
possessing and consuming alcohol illegal. This law created mass illicit business opportunities for
54
organized crime groups in Canada, as alcohol, which was legal in Canada, could be smuggled
into and then sold in the USA at a preposterously inflated price. This “economic incentive”, as it
was described by organized crime expert Philip Boyle, was one of the primary beginnings of
large scale organized crime in Canada. 224 Vancouver historian Daniel Francis has supported
Boyle’s claims of the economic wealth waiting for those who trafficked alcohol, stating that
“There wasn’t any job in Canada that paid that much for so little work”. 225 This economic drive
was massive, as cases of whisky that costed $15CAN in Quebec ($181.34 in 2019) could be sold
at speakeasies in and around New York City for $120CAN ($1450.71 in 2019), demonstrating a
markup of 700%. 226 Organized crime powers such as Arnold Rothstein based in New York and
the Mayfield Road Gang from Cleveland profited massively by using the Great Lakes (Erie,
Huron, Michigan, Ontario, Superior) as a transit route for illegal booze entering the US from
Canada. 227During the thirteen years that America was under Prohibition, it is estimated that
Canada supplied the country with 60% - 90% of the illegal alcohol that flowed through its streets
via organized crime networks. 228 The American prohibition era, as it did in the United States,
established many organized crime practices and networks that have assisted the rise of organized
crime across the northern country.
While organized crime in America oftens captures the public eye for its media populised
crime families that rose out of the profits of the Prohibition era, Canada has organized crime
families born out of the same period, related to and in business with many of America’s most
notable organized crime families. The Rizzuto family in Montreal, born from an internal conflict
between the Sicilians and Calabrians in the Cotroni family, were a powerful force in the
Americas (mostly Quebec and Ontario in Canada, but impacted the whole region) and abroad
during the mid-late 1900’s and early 2000’s. 229 The Cotoni family was established in the 1940’s
by Vic Cotroni, and later ran by his younger brother, Frank Cotoni. 230 The family had extensive
224
225
Fetherling, George. “Prohibition in U.S. Led to Exciting Times in Canada.” Www.vancouversun.com, 1 Feb.
2015, www.vancouversun.com/Prohibition+exciting+times+Canada/10697267/story.html.
226
ibid
227
228
Schneider, Stephen. Iced: the Story of Organized Crime in Canada. Wiley, 2009.
229
“Organized Crime in Canada.” Organized Crime in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia,
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/organized-crime.
230
ibid
55
links to Italian mafia families, the Bonnano family from New York City, and countless other
organizations across Canada and the USA, relationships that carried over once the family split in
the late 1970’s. 231 The Rizzuto family was at the top of their power through the 1980’s and 90’s,
when they were heavily involved in the drug trade and the extortion of construction, union, and
political leaders, among countless other crimes, including murder. 232 International relationships
was a key component in the success and continued growth of the Rizzuto’s business, as Nicolo
Rizzuto established strong ties with a Columbian cartel and the Cuntrera-Caruana Sicilian mafia
in Venezuela during a period of time when he was on the run. 233 Strong relationships with other
crime families, notably the Bonnano’s from New York, were also important to the Rizzuto’s
business and social standing. 234 The Rizzuto family began breaking apart following the 2004
arrest of leader Vito Rizzuto, which was followed by a slew of arrests and killings (most notably
Nicolo Rizzuto) in the early 2000’s. 235 Today, it is suspected that the Rizzuto family is
controlled by close associates and minor family members such as Stefano Sollecito, Nicola
Spagnolo, and Leonardo Rizzuto. 236 While the Rizzuto family no longer holds the power it once
did, the family was Canada’s first major transnationally operating organized crime group, and
unequivocally represents how organized crime in Canada affects the nation domestically and
internationally. The Rizzuto family paved the way for many of the organized crime groups
operating at a high level today, as they were almost all associates of the crime empire. The key
players and structure of the Rizzuto crime family can be found in the appendix as figures 23 and
24.
Despite popular opinion, organized crime is still incredibly prominent in the prosperous
nation of Canada. Organizations such as the Hells Angels and the West End Gang have major
influence domestically, some of which translates to international impacts. Hells Angels is an
international organizations, operating throughout North America, Europe, Oceania, Africa, Asia,
South America, and Central America. 237 Hells Angels is publically displayed as a motorcycle
231
ibid
232
Smith, Corinne. “The Rizzuto Family | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 6 Jan. 2011,
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/the-rizzuto-family-1.899385.
233
ibid
234
ibid
235
ibid
236
ibid
237
“World.” Hells Angels MC World, hells-angels.com/world/.
56
club, however the group’s involvement in organized crime activities is common knowledge
internationally. Their crimes range from drug trafficking to extortion, and violence is seen in a
majority of the group’s actions. The West End Gang has been influential in Canada since the
1960’s, committing crimes such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, and armed robbery.
238
The West End Gang has been, since their creation, associates of the Rizzuto crime family,
often committing crimes with the rival organization in order to maximize their profits. 239 Today,
the West End Gang is estimated to have 100 - 150 members, focused mainly in Quebec and
240
Southern Ontario. Limited public information exists on the organized crime groups within
Canada, in part due to a major inability by RCMP and other law enforcement agencies to
effectively combat these groups. RCMP resources relating to organized crime are limited, as a
241
result of many being allocated to terrorism related fields post 9/11. Other organized crime
groups within Canada include mafias in the major cities (such as the ‘Ndrangheta in Toronto)
and minor adult and youth gangs countrywide, however the Hells Angels and the West End Gang
are Canada’s most well known, successful, and historically persevered organized crime groups.
Organized crime in Canada exist on a much smaller scale compared to other nations
around the world, especially its southern neighbour the USA. Regardless, the activities of crime
syndicates pose a major problem to the wellbeing of Canadian citizens and the country as a
whole. A pilot project by the Government of Canada throughout the mid 2010’s discovered that
15% of homicide related offences nationwide are committed for the benefit of organized crime,
while 56% of drug offences are committed for the same benefit. 242 In addition to the negative
effects of violent crimes committed by criminal organization, Canadians are impacted strongly
by the economic interests of criminal organizations. Organized crime expert James Dubro
partially attributes the high cost for houses in major Canadian cities to organized crime, stating
how organized crime groups from overseas purchase houses at rates above what the average
Canadian citizen can afford, therefore sparking a real estate crisis within the country populated
238
“West End Gang.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_End_Gang.
239
ibid
240
ibid
241
Nicaso, Antonio. “How Canada Enabled the Rise of Mafia Boss Vito Rizzuto.” Macleans.ca, 12 Oct. 2017,
www.macleans.ca/opinion/how-canada-enabled-the-rise-of-mafia-boss-vito-rizzuto/.
242
Statistics Canada. “Measuring Organized Crime in Canada: Results of a Pilot Project Measuring Organized
Crime in Canada: Results of a Pilot Project.” Measuring Organized Crime in Canada: Results of a Pilot Project, 18
Jan. 2017, www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/14689-eng.htm.
57
by about 37 million people. 243 Canada must improve its efforts towards combating organized
crime, before the problem turns into the epidemic it already is in so many areas of the globe.
Logic of Evil
Logic of evil refers to one’s justification for committing an act that harms another human,
species, society, or the world as a whole. Many such acts are committed each day, and attempts
at justification for these atrocities is often presented in a court of law, as an individual plea, or to
convince oneself to step outside legal boundaries, as is most common. Rudyard Kipling, a former
British poet, writer, and journalist once said, “I never made a mistake in my life; at least, never
one that I couldn't explain away afterwards.” 244 Kipling’s quote directly reflects human nature
and the logic of evil; man does not find any act of his own evil as he always has a justification
for his behavior, a logic for his evil.
Transnational organized crime has many negative impacts on global citizens, economies,
and politics, leading many to inquire as to the motivation behind these crimes. Across the globe,
transnational organized crime is facilitated by countless criminals, transportation routes, and
corrupt government officials, among many other assisting platforms. Facilitators of this massive
network have no care for the impact it has on those around them, they are motivated by one
factor only; money.
243
244
“Rudyard Kipling.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/author/show/6989.Rudyard_Kipling.
58
Transnational organized crime is a colossal industry, accounting for up to 1.5% of the

global GDP and 7% of global merchandise exports in 2009. 245 Organized crime groups are able
to explore a diverse range of industries, charging high prices as the goods and services they
provide come at a risk to the seller. Industries such as drug trafficking, counterfeiting, human
trafficking, arms trafficking, organ trafficking, and the wildlife trafficking earn hundreds of
millions to billions of dollars internationally each year. 246 These industries are incredibly
harmful to the global community, however they are lightly enforced and conviction often results
in non threatening penalties. The attractiveness of abundant wealth related to the lack of severe
consequence makes organized crime an attractive industry for a multitude of people.
Overall, economic greed is the logic of evil behind transnational organized crime,
however human nature is the true cause of this greed. The economic profit that a small number of
individuals experience as a result of transnational organized crime is at the expense of the social,
political, and economic well being of the global population as a whole.
245
Kevin.town. “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” New UNODC Campaign: Transnational Organized
Crime Is a US$870 Billion a Year Business, www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2012/July/new-unodc-campaign-
highlights-transnational-organized-crime-as-an-us-870-billion-a-year-business.html.
246
Estimating Illicit Financial Flows Resulting from Drug Trafficking and Other Transnational Organized Crimes.
2011 www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/Illicit_financial_flows_2011_web.pdf.
59
Political Influence
Politics and organized crime, transnational or not, are incredibly closely linked. In many
instances, organized crime must influence politics in order to create or maintain profits, as well
as benefit the structure of the organized crime network. In order to operate effectively and
profitably, organized crime networks often commit acts of violence against elected officials,
influence elections, or pay off politicians to facilitate their motives (corruption). The unsought
pressures that organized crime networks forces on to democratic governments (most often) in
order to operate both domestically and transnationally has tremendous negative impacts to
political integrity and the wellbeing of citizens across the globe.
Democratic governments are those most often influenced by transnational organized
crime. Christine Todd Whitman, the former Governor of New Jersey (1994-2001) and
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under former American President George
W Bush (2001-2003), once said “Voting is the only way to make change in a democracy.” 247
Democracy is the purest form of equality and opportunity within government, where citizens
have the control to put into public office whomever they believe most competent for the role. By
voting, populations can put into power officials they believe will combat the issues that are
negatively impacting the people. One such issue is organized crime, however it is one that is
difficult for elected officials to combat, either do to the vastness of organized crime networks or,
247
“Christine Todd Whitman Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore,
www.brainyquote.com/quotes/christine_todd_whitman_916295?src=t_democracy.
60
as happens most oftens, the threats and violence imposed on those in power by organized crime
groups.
Violence against elected officials, or those running for office, often happens in countries
transitioning towards a legitimate democracy. This transition would have dire consequences
negatively impacting the profitability of organized crime networks, therefore these groups take
violent action in order to protect their wealth. For instance, from September 2017 to June 2018 in
Mexico, 112 officials running for office were murdered. 248 Of these killings, Exitix Capital
analyst Rafeal Elias said
Politicians are particularly vulnerable targets of organized crimes,

particularly when they do not show support (for) — or choose not to turn a blind
eye to — illegal activities in the municipalities or territories that they govern or
are running to govern. 249
Organized crime groups are ruthless in their methods of achieving their objectives, as
financial gain is all that matters to these people. Being an organized group, the art of
intimidating and influencing these public officials often goes unnoticed by the public.
This is, in part, due to the fact that local officials are those most often at risk, as they have
less significant profiles. The public, federal law enforcement, and global law enforcement
agencies simply do not have the time to investigate low profile cases, therefore organized
crime can violently influence mayors, city councillors, and other municipal/local officials
with little consequence. Local law enforcement often does not have the resources to
combat such vast, elusive criminal networks, therefore they are somewhat irrelevant to
organized crime groups. In Italy between 2013 and 2015, mayors were the victims of
26% of documented attacks on politicians. 250 These attacks have strong influences on the
248
Turak, Natasha. “More than 100 Politicians Have Been Murdered in Mexico Ahead of Sunday's Election.”
CNBC, CNBC, 27 June 2018, www.cnbc.com/2018/06/26/more-than-100-politicians-murdered-in-mexico-ahead-of-
election.html.
249
ibid
250
Daniele, Gianmarco. “How the Mafia Uses Violence to Control Politics.” The Conversation, 28 Sept. 2018,
theconversation.com/how-the-mafia-uses-violence-to-control-politics-103031.
61
democratic process, citizen wellbeing, and state wellbeing, and eliminating the forceful
ties between politics and organized crime is essential to solving this global issue.
The threat of imminent violence towards those opposing the operations of organized
crime has a strong influence on the effectiveness of democracy within a nation. Danger is a
powerful deterrent from running for public office, especially on an anti organized crime
platform. Non democratic government systems, such as the communist dictatorships seen in
China and North Korea, are politically impacted by organized crime at a significantly lower rate.
This is due to the oppressive, strict nature of the regime, as well as the fact that elections are rare
and elected officials, in reality, have very little influence in government. Non democratic nations
often have a single leader who has a majority influence on decision making, therefore making the
pressuring or corrupting of elected officials by organized crime utterly purposeless. Therefore,
democratic nations politically suffer significantly at the hands of organized crime, impacting the
effectiveness of government, as well as citizen wellbeing.
Within democratic nations, threats of violence against politicians often affects how many
votes they receive, as voters are often scared of falling victims to the same abuse themselves.
Throughout the violence leading up to Mexico’s 2018 elections, upwards of 20% of voters were
concerned about security and admitted that it would influence their voting decisions. 251 In
addition, by murdering or influencing politicians not to run in elections, organized crime groups
drastically reduce candidate pools to only those who they can control or will not negatively
affect their business. These limitations as to who is running for public office strikes the very
heart of democracy, a political system where any person, regardless of race, gender, beliefs,
religion, sexual orientation, etc. can run for public office. By influencing the minds of voters, as
well as voting options, organized crime networks manipulate political systems in order to
maintain and grow profits.
Corruption is a major issue regarding the relationship between organized crime and
politics. Those in positions of political power are often bribed or coerced into facilitating the
bidding of organized crime groups. Corruption often occurs in countries under undemocratic
regimes, where the government has its own interests at heart, not those of the people.
251
Turak, Natasha. “More than 100 Politicians Have Been Murdered in Mexico Ahead of Sunday's Election.”
CNBC, CNBC, 27 June 2018, www.cnbc.com/2018/06/26/more-than-100-politicians-murdered-in-mexico-ahead-of-
election.html.
62
Transparency International, on a yearly basis, releases the Corruption Perceptions Index

detailing the level of political corruption in each country globally. Countries that rank the lowest
on this index are often those most populated by organized crime, as corruption among politicians
allows for a free flow of illicit products and services. In 2017, the World Economic Forum
composed a list of the 15 most corrupt countries in the world within their Global
Competitiveness Index. The five countries who ranked most populated with organized crime out
of the 137 that were analyzed were El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela, Mexico, and Guatemala.
252
In relation to the Corruptions Perception Index, these countries ranked 112th, 135th, 169th,
135th (tie at score of 29/100), and 143rd out of the 180 countries that were evaluated. 253 In
contrast, New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Switzerland ranked in the top five spots
on the Corruptions Perception Index. 254 These same countries ranked 8th, 39th, 1st, 2nd, and 12th
on the Global Competitiveness Index in relation to the topic of organized crime. 255 Evidently,
direct correlations exist between political corruption and organized crime within a nation.
Corruption spreads across nations, as crime syndicates often have politicians from multiple
nations on a payroll, allowing them to operate productively and profitably transnationally.
Without political corruption, organized crime syndicates would face major turbulence
ensuring their operations run without interference. Having people that are in positions of power
under control is essential to the profitable survival of any major transnational organized crime
group. While many are often confused as to why elected officials, who vowed to serve the
people, betray their oath, there is a logic behind their evil. Public service is not a profitable line
of work. The President of the United States, one of the highest paid elected officials in the world,
makes only $400,000 USD annually. 256 In comparison, that is the selling price of 1,333 grams,
or just under 3 pounds, of cocaine in the United States. 257 This is a relatively small amount of
252
“Competitiveness Rankings.” Global Competitiveness Index 2017-2018, reports.weforum.org/global-
competitiveness-index-2017-2018/competitiveness-rankings/#series=EOSQ035.
253
254
ibid
255
“Competitiveness Rankings.” Global Competitiveness Index 2017-2018, reports.weforum.org/global-
competitiveness-index-2017-2018/competitiveness-rankings/#series=EOSQ035.
256
Casselbury, Kelsey. “How Much Money Do Government Officials Make?” Chron.com, 30 Mar. 2018,
work.chron.com/much-money-government-officials-make-1946.html.
257
“Cocaine Prices.” Havocscope Black Market, www.havocscope.com/black-market-prices/cocaine-prices/.
63
the drug, as recent busts in Toronto and New Jersey yielded 55kg and 1500kg of the drug. 258
These are the quantities of contraband that organized crime syndicates distribute on a regular
basis. Political office does not pay the same way that organized crime does, therefore many
politicians often resort to corruption to support lavish lifestyles. In order to combat organized
crime, however, those who are elected with the trust of the public must stop betraying that trust
and stand for their morals, rather than sink below themselves for a profit.
258
Anthony, Augusta. “Drug Bust at Newark Port Seizes Ton and a Half of Cocaine Worth Estimated $77 Million.”
CNN, Cable News Network, 12 Mar. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/03/11/us/cocaine-bust-new-york-newark-
port/index.html.;
Shum, David. “3 Arrested, $6.8M Worth of Cocaine Seized in Toronto Drug Trafficking Probe.” Global News, 25
Jan. 2019, globalnews.ca/news/4888074/toronto-police-cocaine-bust/.
64
Media Influence
Within popular culture, organized crime is glorified by the entertainment industry

through movies, book, and other forms of media. Most notable are TV shows and movies such as
The Godfather (movie series), The Sopranos, and The Blacklist, all of which have plots and
characters based around the world and lifestyle of individuals and groups involved in
transnational organized crime. Over 3 movies and one re-released edition, The Godfather movie
series grossed $1,082,695,300 USD (adjusted for inflation). 259 James Gandolfini, the lead actor
from The Sopranos (role of Tony Soprano) was worth $70 million USD at the time of his death
in 2013. 260 A current organized crime based show, The Blacklist, costs media platform Netflix
$2 million USD per episode for streaming rights. 261 On live television, an average on 5.7 million
people tuned in for new episodes of The Blacklist’s last complete season. 262 Organized crime
based media presentations are incredibly popular among the general public, who often fail to
understand the true social, political, and economic impacts organized crime imposes in reality.
Media glorification of the international issue causes the general population to worship organized
crime rather than condemn it. As a result, efforts to combat organized crime often fail to reach
their full potential as public outcry is limited due to a lack of understanding. In order for the
effective reduction of transnational organized crime to take place, the public must be educated
and in turn support solutions to the issue, rather than supporting media glorification of a
devastating epidemic.
259
“The Godfather.” Box Office Mojo,
www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?view=openings&id=godfather.htm&p=.htm.
260
Eric-Schaal. “James Gandolfini: What Was the 'Sopranos' Star's Net Worth at the Time of His Death?” The
Cheat Sheet, The Cheat Sheet, 11 Jan. 2019, www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/james-gandolfini-what-was-the-
sopranos-stars-net-worth-at-the-time-of-his-death.html/.
261
Andreeva, Nellie. “Netflix Acquires 'The Blacklist' For $2 Million An Episode.” Deadline, 28 Aug. 2014,
deadline.com/2014/08/the-blacklist-netflix-deal-2-million-825836/.
262
Mitovich, Matt Webb. “Ratings: Blacklist Goes Low in Friday Debut, Fresh Off the Boat Hits High.” TVLine, 5
Jan. 2019, tvline.com/2019/01/05/blacklist-ratings-season-6-fridays/.
65
Religious Influence
Religion is a strong motivator for many world issues and conflicts, however it has no
strong, direct influences on the operations of transnational organized crime. While religious
motives relating to participating in criminal activity are difficult to determine, varying criminal
organizations have a religious like infrastructure, and often pray to a god. Many organized crime
members have religious roots, just as the general population does, however these religious
beliefs are rarely the motivation to commit crimes, economic wealth is. Organized crime expert
James Dubro said, “I would never say it [organized crime] is driven by (..) religion.” 263 Overall,
religious motivations for committing and facilitating organized crime exist incredibly rarely.
Religion becomes a factor through the infrastructure of the groups, their group beliefs, and the
group’s criminal and personal behavior.
Many organized crime groups, notably crime families, have a hierarchy structure similar
to that of a church. Within the catholic church, the Pope is the leader. Similarly, crime families
have a single leader in charge of all operations within the organizations, often the most senior
male member of the family who has worked his way through the ranks, similar to the Pope.
Below the Pope are Cardinals, of which there are 214 internationally. 264 This differs slightly
from crime families in numbers, however the responsibilities of cardinals are similar to those of a
crime family underboss, of which there is only one. Cardinals and underbosses are both a second
in command of sorts, on their way to becoming the leader of their respective organizations.
Cardinals are assigned with choosing a new Pope once the current one dies, while an underboss
automatically assumes control of the organization upon the death of the leader. 265 Archbishops
and bishops within the Catholic Church are very similar to Capo’s within a crime family, as both
oversee a large group of subordinates. Archbishops and Bishops are responsible for large
collections of parishes. 266 In comparison, Capos are responsible for subordinates similar to
263
264
“Catholic Church.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Apr. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church.
265
ibid
266
ibid
66
soldiers. 267 In this case, Bishops and Archbishops relate to Capos based on their responsibility
and command of a large group of subordinates. Next is the similarity between soldiers and
priests, both of which there is an abundance of in their respective organizations. Both soldiers
and priests are some of the lowest ranking members of their organizations, and both are
responsible for upholding the word of their superiors. 268 Finally, the general public, or religious
followers, are somewhat similar to the associates of criminal organizations. Both are under the
supervision and direction of the organization, however neither is, in reality, a part of said
organization. Overall, organized crime groups, most often mafias, are strongly influenced by
religion in terms of the hierarchical structure of their organization. Most prominently, this
influence comes from the Catholic church as it was the followed church of the first mafia
members in Italy.
Many organized crime groups, often those in developing, highly religious nations, pray to
a kind of god for safety during their endeavors. One such god is the patron saint Jesus Malverde
from Mexico, who is revered by the Sinaloa Cartel that was formerly controlled by Joaquin “El
Chapo” Guzman. 269 Malverde is a folk hero among Mexican people, rumored to have been
active in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s stealing from the rich and giving to the poor in Mexico,
similar to the American children’s hero, Robin Hood. 270 Malverde is rumored to have died in
1909, however no official documents prove his existence or death. 271 Today, Jesus Malverde is
known as the unofficial Patron Saint of Drug Traffickers, as he is not condoned by the church. 272
Alters, statues, and more have been built in honor of Malverde, to whom many drug traffickers
commonly pray before undergoing a dangerous task by saying the words “Jesús Malverde, pray
for us; Jesús Malverde, listen to us” after each of their regular prayers. 273 Malverde and the
267
“Mafia Org Chart.” FBI, FBI, 23 May 2016, www.fbi.gov/file-repository/mafia-family-tree.pdf/view.
268
ibid
269
“Worshipping the Patron Saint of Drug Traffickers in Mexico.” Religion News Service, 3 May 2017,
religionnews.com/2017/05/02/worshipping-the-patron-saint-of-drug-traffickers-in-mexico/.
270
ibid
271
ibid
272
Borunda, Daniel. “Who Is Jesus Malverde? Question on Narco-Saint Hangs over 'Chapo' Guzman Drug Cartel
Trial.” El Paso Times, El Paso Times, 19 June 2018, www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/crime/2018/06/18/chapo-
guzman-trial-jury-asked-who-jesus-malverde-narcosaint-patron-saint-drug-dealers/703959002/.
273
Pagaza, Consuelo. “Jesús Malverde, Patron Saint of the Poor and of Drug Traffickers.” Equal Times,
www.equaltimes.org/jesus-malverde-patron-saint-of-the#.XL_uJZNKjs0.
67
legend surrounding him stands for the religious aspects to organized crime in many places
globally.
Organized crime groups often conform to religion in their personal lives, most notably
the association between mafia groups and the Catholic church. Well known relationships
previously existed, and to some degree still exist, between the two parties. James Dubro,
Canadian based organized crime expert, supports that “ … they’re (the mafia) … very devout
catholics.” 274 Organized crime bosses and their families for decades have attended church in
order to be perceived as proper citizens to the outside world and have previously made sizeable
donations to the Catholic church. 275 The link between the Catholic church and the mafia was
seen at the 2010 funeral of Nicolo Rizzuto and the 2013 funeral of his son Vito, both former
leaders of the Rizzuto crime family. These funerals took place at the nicest, oldest Catholic
church in Montreal, Notre Dame de la Defense, which has held more high level mob funerals
than any other church in North America. 276 The link between religion and the personal lives of
many organized crime facilitators is evident globally, regardless of efforts by religious sectors to
eliminate these religions. The commitment of organized crime members to religion is not a
driving factor behind the criminal enterprises they operate within, according to expert James
Dubro. 277 It does, however, contribute to the everyday practices of these men and women, and
therefore minorly influences the operations of organized crime groups, whether these operations
are legal or illegal.
Members of crime groups all have individual gods who they will pray to for good luck,
or they have a group belief that is practiced regularly. Regardless of the nature, individual and
group beliefs are an aspect of organized crime, as they are in many instances of life. These
beliefs can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, and while they have no direct impact of the
operations of organized crime they are practiced by many people in this field, therefore they are
an incredibly relevant component to the functionality of transnational organized crime.
274
275
276
Humphreys, Adrian. “Why Did Vito Rizzuto Get a Full Catholic Funeral in Montreal, When Some Bishops in
Sicily Are Refusing Mafiosi?” National Post, 25 Jan. 2015, nationalpost.com/holy-post/why-did-vito-rizzuto-get-a-
full-catholic-funeral-in-montreal-when-some-bishops-in-sicily-are-refusing-mafiosi.
277
68
In addition to structural and belief based relations to religion, many organized crime
groups mimic faiths in their behaviors, most notably their rituals. Many loyalty based criminal
enterprises, often mafia families, require an initiation to enter the organization. 278 Organized
crime expert Antonio Nicaso stated how many organized crime group’s initiation is similar to
baptism in the Christian religion, as it is a rebirth into a new life. 279 Initiation rituals vary
depending on the gang, ranging from committing a simple felony such as shoplifting to violent
crimes such as murder or rape. 280 According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), many
American crime families force those entering at the soldier level to take an oath of silence upon
initiation (staying silent if ever questioned by the police), and sometimes commit murder. 281
Other initiation rituals include eating a human heart, practiced by the Mexican drug cartel
Knights Templar, throwing lit fireworks at new members (Taitung Crime Syndicate, Taiwan),
and drinking the blood of someone else or oneself (Chinese Triads), among many more. 282
While these initiation procedures are not religious in nature, they resemble the initiation rituals
of many religions, demonstrating the close relationship of the tendencies held by organized
religion and organized crime groups.
Evidently, religious institutions share many similarities to organized crime infrastructure.
They share a hierarchical system of leaders, ritualistic initiations, and countless other
connections that have long made citizens question the relationship between the two. While today
religious organizations speak against organized crime, they previously ignored the unholy
activities of illicit organizations. For many years, the Vatican church, and the Roman Catholic
religion as a whole, had strong ties to organized crime in Italy, Europe, and the world. 283 Author
Emmett Mcloughlin quoted an unnamed former priest saying, “some priests in the Chicago area
said Mass in the morning and slipped into the Mafia for the rest of the day.” 284 The relationship
between the Catholic church and the mafia dates back to Italy in the 1800’s, when the Catholic
278
279
280
“Traits of Gang Members.” Traits of Gang Members,
www.edmontonpolice.ca/CommunityPolicing/OrganizedCrime/Gangs/TraitsofGangMembers.
281
282
“10 Insanely Brutal And Cruel Gang Initiation Rituals.” Ranker, www.ranker.com/list/horrible-gang-initiation-
rituals/harrison-tenpas?page=3.
283
284
Wakin, Daniel J. “THE BASICS; Church, Mafia: Why the Link?” The New York Times, The New York Times,
22 June 2003, www.nytimes.com/2003/06/22/weekinreview/the-basics-church-mafia-why-the-link.html.
69
church relied of Sicilian mafia clans to monitor and maintain its property holdings. 285 The
discreet, unpinpointable relationship continued for decades, notably when the Vatican laundered
money for the Italian mafia in the 1970’s and 80’s, a practice rumored to be continued to some
degree today. 286 Despite such suspicions, a recent revolution within the Catholic church sparked
by Pope Francis has all but expelled any significant relationship between the Catholic religious
system and organized crime. In 2018, Pope Francis announced “A person who is a mafioso does
not live as a Christian because with his life he blasphemes against the name of God”. 287
Repeated public denunciations of the mafia and organized crime groups as a whole, the Catholic
church has begun to clear its name from a historically corrupt relationship with illicit
organizations.
While many similarities exist in the infrastructure, beliefs, and practices of organized
crime groups and religious establishments, there is no official correlation between the two.
Historically, relationships existed between religious and criminal institutions, however these
relations have been severed in light of today’s transparency focused world, which is enforced by
the media. Religion, in principal, is a functioning aspect in the ideologies and operations of
organized crime groups, however it is rarely a driving factor relating to the illicit activities
undertaken by these organizations.
Solutions
285
Editors, History.com. “Origins of the Mafia.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009,
www.history.com/topics/crime/origins-of-the-mafia.
286
Yang, Stephanie. “The Craziest Financial Schemes That the Vatican Bank Tried to Cover Up.” Business Insider,
Business Insider, 27 Feb. 2015, www.businessinsider.com/gods-bankers-financial-scandals-at-the-vatican-2015-2.
287
Reuters. “Pope Tells Sicily's Mafia 'You Cannot Believe in God and Be Mafiosi'.” The Guardian, Guardian
News and Media, 15 Sept. 2018, www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/15/pope-tells-sicilys-mafia-you-cannot-
believe-in-god-and-be-mafiosi.
70
Transnational organized crime is a global issue with no concern for borders, laws, or the
social, political, and economic wellbeing of the globe. As a result, this is an incredibly difficult
problem to solve, and perhaps one that is impossible to solve, as is the opinion of many experts.
Despite the vastness of this issue, there are steps that can be taken in order to suppress organized
crime groups as much as possible. Many potential partial solutions exist, ranging from assisting
youth to strengthening international relations. Regardless the proposal, it is seen unequivocally
that an increase in cooperation between law enforcement, governments, and international
organizations is necessary if the world ever hopes to have control of the vast issue that is
transnational organized crime.
Antonio Nicaso, an organized crime expert based in Toronto, Ontario, believes that the
first step to combating organized crime is by reaching a universal consensus of the definition of
transnational organized crime. 288 He supports that you must be able to “define what you are
going to fight.” 289 Definitions of organized crime vary between all international organizations,
sovereign states, and law enforcement agencies, therefore making effective international
cooperation aimed at combating organized crime incredibly difficult. By finding a way for
nations, international organizations, and law enforcement worldwide to agree on a definition for
what constitutes organized crime, the world as a whole would be able to collectively take the
first step towards effectively combating the global organized crime epidemic.
Transnational organized crime is, in essence, organized crime traveling across borders. In
order to prevent such acts, individual nations must be able to cooperate and coordinate in their
efforts to suppress organized crime groups. Political policies, as well as law enforcement
initiatives, must be harmonized in order for sovereignties to counteract the fluidity and flexibility
of transnational organized crime groups.
Cooperation among law enforcement agencies through joint task forces, both
domestically and internationally, is not uncommon and is evidently incredibly effective.
Organizations such as Canada’s RCMP, America’s FBI and DEA (Drug Enforcement
Administration), Germany’s BPOL (Bundespolizei), Japan’s National Police Agency, and many
more federal law enforcement agencies often work in harmony to combat organized crime.
288
289
71
Despite the effectiveness of cooperation among law enforcement agencies, legal

regimes must also work in sync to maximize the world’s capability towards combating
transnational organized crime. Mr Philip Boyle, Canadian organized crime expert, believes that
by harmonizing the policies regarding organized crime among legal regimes (laws, penalties,
regulations/funding to fight against, etc), the world would be much more effective in eliminating
this global issue. 290 Mr Boyle references the massive incentive for profit given to Canadians
during American prohibition, and how the harmonization of legal policies regarding alcohol
between these two countries would have greatly eliminated the economic incentive that drive
organized crime groups to illegally transport alcohol across international borders. 291
International cooperation, in both legal and political circles, is essential in enabling the globe as a
whole to effectively combat transnational organized crime.
Another significant disadvantage to law enforcement agencies attempting to limit the
powers of organized crime groups is their lack of funding, While many elements, including
taxes, other government expenses, etc obviously factor into this lack of funding, governments
around the world must establish a legitimate process to ensure more funding reaches the hands of
those fighting organized crime, as this issue harms people, governments, and economies
globally. From the attacks of September 11th, 2001 to September of 2017, an estimated 500
RCMP officers assigned to combating organized crime were relocated to national security or
terrorism prevention related operations. 292 In addition, over 300 organized crime investigations
were dismissed, $100 million in funding redirected, and multiple cases prosecuting organized
crime members dropped. 293 Organized crime groups earn hundreds of millions of dollars in
revenue each year, giving them a significantly larger pool of resources to avoid the law
compared to the resources given to law enforcement to capture these criminals. In order for law
enforcement agencies around the world to effectively attempt to put a stop to organized crime,
these entities must be provided with sufficient resources to do so.
290
291
292
293
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Many more concepts on how to eliminate organized crime exist. Organized crime expert
James Dubro has outlined many potential future solutions to the issue as well as effective
combative measures that exist today. These solutions include
1. The full legalization of drugs, gambling, prostitution, etc. Many are

hesitant to move towards this policy, however recent trends show this is becoming
a viable option in some countries that are prepared and able to control the risk.
2. Eliminating corruption and politically motivated violence towards

public officials in order to limit the control of organized crime groups.
3. Implementing programs that positively influence youth and encourage

them towards lives free of crime in order to eliminate the problem as generations
pass. This has proven effective in areas such as Hong Kong, where an organized
crime group called the Triads are incredibly dominante.
4. Educating the public on the issue, which is perhaps the easiest and
quickest way to implement change, especially in democratic nations, as the people
can pressure their elected officials into focusing on combating organized crime
domestically, which in turn assist the fight against transnational organized crime.
Organized crime is not an unsolvable problem. It may not be possible to fully extinguish,
as is the opinion of a majority of the experts interviewed for this academic report, however by
effectively implementing any number of proposed solutions, sovereign states and the world as a
whole can begin to move in a positive direction, away from the violence and negative social,
political, and economic control held by transnational organized crime groups on today’s world.
Conclusion
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To paraphrase organized crime expert James Dubro, the impact of organized crime is not
apparent, but it is immense. 294 This global issue is quickly transforming into an epidemic that
affects the social, political, and economic well being of citizens worldwide. Through extensive
and elaborate research, this report aimed to communicate the devastating effects imposed by
organized crime around Earth and to implore action against the current trends. By analyzing the
history of organized crime, listening to the word of experts on the topic, determining the role of
control as it relates to the issue, inquiring as to the role of international organizations in
combating transnational organized crime, and exploring the influence of politics, media, and
religion on organized crime, readers of this report gained a solid understanding of how organized
crime operates transnationally and why this issue is relevant on a global scale. Case studies
analyzing Ecuador, Nigeria, and Russia, as well as an in depth look at organized crime in
Canada, further enhanced this understanding. This information was used in order to provide the
reader an understanding of why transnational organized crime is a global issue, as well as to
provide insight before potential solutions to this problem were discussed. In conclusion, the
world as a whole is moving in a progressive direction, however transnational organized crime
imposes great restraints on this progression. Therefore, sovereign governments, law enforcement
agencies, and international organizations must harmonize to combat this issue and limit the
destructive impacts it imposes on the social, political, and economic wellbeing of the world and
those who inhabit this planet.
Appendix
Figure 1
294
74
Figure 2
Figure 3
75
Figure 4
To you, what is the definition of organized crime?
Why is organized crime a global issue?
What is the primary origin of organized crime?
What is the influence of organized crime on businesses attempting to operate within the law?
How has organized crime risen to a position of power on the international stage?
In which regions of the world does organized crime have the biggest social, political, and
economic impact?
What is the influence of religion on organized crime, both in North America and abroad?
How effective are international organizations, such as the United Nations and Interpol, in
combating organized crime?
Is there any corruption within the UN or Interpol from organized crime?
What regions of the world are the “hubs” of organized crime (ie; trafficking hubs)?
Where does the power and control lie relating to the issue of organized crimes (with
governments, organized crime groups, international organizations, etc)
How has organized crime developed into a problem in Canada specifically?
What is the relationship of organized crime to Canada? How relevant is it here and how does it
affect Canadian citizens, politics, and economics?
Figure 5 - Interview with David Carter

76
*S2 - Jakob Graham

*S4 - David Carter
S2 All right, perfect, there we go. Did you happen to see the email I sent over?
S4 Yes, I did.
S2 Okay, so basically I’ve got my first six sections. I’ve got the defining my issue, the
significance of it, the history of organised crime, kind of who controls it and also international
organisations, so that’s kind of what I’m focusing at right now.
S4 Okay.
S2 My first question to you I would say is in your opinion, why is organised crime a global
issue?
S4 Well, because it’s recognising that there’s all different levels of organised crime, that…I
mean the technical name for organised crime that you’ve probably have come across is criminal
enterprise and for example, some gangs, street gangs or criminal enterprises, organised crime,
and they’re prosecuted that way, but they have obviously very little impact beyond just their
immediate community. So my point is we have from that to the Mexican drug cartels that have a
global impact and there’s everything in between there and some of them have unique impacts.
So why are they global issues? Well it’s because they usually traffic in desired but illicit or
unlawful commodities, all right? So sometimes those commodities are limited in where they’re
available. Human trafficking, for example. Human trafficking comes, at least for, North
America, usually comes from Central and South America although there is some from Asia.
Human trafficking in, for example, Western Europe for the most part comes from Africa, but
there’s that commodity, the need for a commodity that drives [inaudible 00:58:23] to where that
illicit commodity is. Most human trafficking by the way, particularly in North America,
involves domestic help and hotels, housekeeping services. That’s where a number of those are.
On the other hand, there’s also a global market just as [inaudible 00:58:45] for stolen arts and
antiquities. There’s a global market, I worked on one project in Africa dealing with human
trafficking of endangered species and animals because again, there’s a demand, so that’s why it’s
global in nature is because there’s certain places in the globe where there is a commodity and
there’s a demand for it elsewhere and it’s an illicit commodity. So sometimes it’s a local
commodity like gambling.
S2 Okay, that’s actually something I’ve started, thank you. My next question is…and this is
one I’ve kind of had a little bit of trouble with because it’s such a broad topic but what is the
primary origins of organised crime as far back as there’s research to support it?
S4 As far back as there’s research to support it actually that I’ve seen actually, I guess it goes
back to…I know some research [inaudible 00:59:49] for example Old England and I’m sure
there’s far more than that. Early, there was, again, illicit trafficking of stolen commodities in
particular. There was kind of a mixture of it that we saw in India, something that kind of goes
back hundreds of years. Obviously not as sophisticated as it was but we’ve seen it throughout
77
Eastern Europe, Europe, and on the Indian subcontinent in particular, Africa South, just literally
all over the world there’s been some dynamic of it somewhere.
S2 Right, okay, thank you. How has organised crime risen to a position of power and
control internationally?
S4 It depends on the country or on the reason. Let’s use Mexico for example, and Colombia
was like this in the 1980s, but in Mexico there was so much money, one, that was generated and
two, associated with that was the willingness to use violence by the drug cartels that they were
able to literally influence national decisions via policymakers and governments. We’ve seen
that. We’ve seen that in other countries as well. There’s been some notorious regimes that
actually came to power, they were “legit regimes” in South America and in Africa, for example,
though nothing that does organised crime. So it’s basically the money and the violence. The
money to bribe and corrupt other people and the violence to threaten them if they don’t go along
with the vibe. That’s what we saw for example in Mexico a great deal and again, Colombia was
the same way. It was that, “Hey, I’m going to offer you a bribe and if you don’t take my bribe,
then I’m going to kill you and your family,” and so they take the bribe, therefore they’re corrupt
but I mean, you know, it was a bad choice. So money and violence is what drives, in many
ways, the successful organised crime organisations and those are the ones who have a tendency
to become more powerful on the international stage.
S2 Perfect, thank you. I think we’ve briefly touched on this but which regions of the word
does organised crime have the biggest social, political, and economic impact?
S4 The biggest? I would have to say…I mean I mentioned Mexico, Eastern Europe, portions
of Africa, I think we said…probably…that’s probably the keys. Those are probably the key
areas right there.
S2 Right, okay, thank you. Now is there any corruption within the United Nations and
Interpol as a result of organised crime?
S4 It would shock me if there was corruption in Interpol from organised crime. It would
shock me if there wasn’t corruption in the United Nations from organised crime. I’m absolutely
convinced of it in the UN because the reason is that you’ve got all kinds of people who are all
kinds of decision-makers. You’ve got tens of thousands of people in the UN that by probability
alone, there’s just more corruptible people. Interpol is a surprisingly small organisation, all law
enforcement, all carefully selected to be seconded to Interpol headquarters in France so I would
be shocked to find organised crime there, but I’m going to probably guarantee it is in the UN
somewhere.
S2 To your research, would you be able to lead me in any direction of a place I could look to
find that in the UN?
S4 No. (Laughs) So it’s from life experiences and I’ve dealt with the UN and particularly in
Asia quite a bit and just knowing other people who have dealt with the UN and law enforcement
agencies but I can’t point in any particular research on there.
78
S2 Okay, all right, thank you. What regions of the world would you consider…and very
similar to another question, but what regions would you consider hubs of organised crime, like
main areas of drug trafficking, main areas of human trafficking, arms trafficking?
S4 Oh wow, I mean it’s…North Central Mexico’s obviously a hub for both drug trafficking
and human trafficking or along the US southwest border of Mexico. That’s a hub. Uh it seems
like most likely you would probably find as a hub for arms trafficking, I’m guessing real
particularly you’ll probably likely find that in maybe…because I’d almost want to say some
place like Afghanistan. For human trafficking, you got it both also in both coming in from
Central and South America feeding the western hemisphere or North America and from Africa
feeding into Europe. I’m not sure exactly what those would be, but those are the focal points.
So those kind of jump out at me.
S2 Right. Okay, that’s a big help, thank you. And one more kind of official question, where
does the power and control lie relating to issues with organised crime? Do governments have
more power? Do organised crime groups have power? International organisations?
S4 It just varies. It varies throughout the world and so you’ll find that in what are called
‘fragile states’…have you come across that phrase?
S2 I have not.
S4 Fragile states refers to countries that have weak government structure, the people live in
poverty, there’s corruption, etc., there’s low government control. Those are fragile states, and
the fragile states are also kind where hardcore terrorism is, you’ll also see organised crime there
and so in the fragile states, organised crime is probably going to have the most power and in
solely-based economic countries, the government is and even though there might be a presence
of organised crime like in the US, they certainly don’t have the power.
S2 Right. So you mentioned something there about the president’s organised crime. Would
you be able to elaborate on what you mean by that?
S4 I don’t think I said the president’s organised crime.
S2 You said in solid economic countries, you think the government the power, but I may
have misheard, I thought you said something about like…
S4 Because I said the residents.
S2 Oh the residents? Okay. So what do you mean by resident’s organised crime?
S4 No, let’s back up here, when the people who live there don’t have…when people are not
empowered, when they are disenfranchised, that’s part of fragile state which is going to fuel
organised crime.
S2 Okay, I understand, thank you. Now I’m not too sure if you…I mean especially relating
to Canada if there’s a lot there, do you have a few more minutes to answer a couple of more
questions?
S4 I’m going to have to go because I‘ve got a call coming in [inaudible 01:08:53] we’ve
been talking, but I don’t know much about Canada.
79
S2 That’s okay. Thank you. If a little bit down the road into my research, I run across
something I might need a little bit of help with, would you mind answering a couple of more
questions?
S4 I’ll be happy to.
S2 Okay, thank you so much, you’ve been a big help.
S4 Okay, good luck on your project.
S2 All right, thank you so much. Take care.
S4 Bye-bye. (Audio Ends)
Figure 6 - Interview with Antonio Nicaso
*S2 - Jakob Graham

80
*S5 - Antonio Nicaso
S2 Perfect. So did you happen to see the list of questions I just emailed to you as kind of a
base?
S5 Nope, no, no.
S2 No? Okay.
S5 No, I’m sorry.
S2 Okay, no worries, I’ll pull that out on my-
S5 (Overlapping Conversation) I haven’t received anything. Did you send it to my Queen’s
account?
S2 I did, yeah. Sorry, hang on, let me just try and find it here on my end.
S5 No, I don’t have anything here.
S2 Sorry, okay, it might not have come through, no worries. I will just pull up my list of
questions here. So I guess my first kind of question to you if you’re able to answer is kind of a
history of organised crime. In your studies, what would you say is kind of the first origins of
organised crime?
S5 In North America, one of the first form of organised crime are the pirates or privateers.
They share many characteristics of a modern organised crime. The idea of making money with
connection to power, to the letter of a mark, like a license issued by kingdoms to steal the goods
of an enemy’s vessels and then they share the profit with the people who issue the license. So
definitely, it’s not something related to immigration. We have many evidence of that to
dismantle the idea of the alien conspiracy. So regionally, in North America, the politicians
franchised vices to criminals in exchange of cheap labour and political support in what we can
call patronage or we can call the political machine or machine politics. There was a kind of
mutual advantage.
S2 Right, between politicians and organised crime?
S5 Yes. And if you want to then make a further distinction, you have to distinguish
organised crime and mafia or mafia-type criminal organisation. What distinguish a mafia or a
mafia-type criminal organisation from any common criminal association is its ability to become
a system and this is done by creating a network of interdependences across classes and built in
the leads with the political, economical, institutional, and professional circles, all working for
their mutual advantage.
S2 Right, okay that’s a big help, thank you. My next question to you is what is the influence
of religion on organised crime in North America and the rest of the world?
S5 That influence is huge in the sense of the exploitation of religion symbols. You have to
consider the importance of ritual in some criminal organisation, the idea to enter into a criminal
organisation is something like a baptism into religion. It’s a kind of rebirth, born again in a new
life, a life of crime. Of course criminals like, they’re here to be associated to a priest, to
churches, and they provide donation and they, in some way, participate and liable to community
because they want to be perceived as normal people and so there is a relationship for many,
81
many decades. For example, the Catholic church was silent against the mafia, against organised
crime. Only recently they tried to excommunicate mobsters and to challenge the mafia but for
decades, they never acknowledged the existence of the mafia and allow many mobsters to
organise religious events, processions, and to help the lives of a religion community by providing
donation to the church.
S2 Right, okay, thank you. Now you talked about how the Catholic church was silent
against organised crime for a lot of years. Now just as a follow up, would you then leave me a
timeline about kind of the years where they were silent and then also the years where they started
to speak out?
S5 I think they start to speak out around the ‘90s, in the ‘90s, and just recently, Pope Francis
was the first one who excommunicated mobsters, saying they have nothing in common with the
value and principle of the church, with the catholic church, and that was a big step forward.
Before, the ‘50s, ‘60s, the ‘70s, the ‘80s, not anyone challenged the mafia. There were a few
examples but nothing to a level of a pope.
S2 Right, okay thank you very much. How effective would you say that international
organisations such as the United Nations and Interpol are in control and combating organised
crime?
S5 You have to distinguish to level of criminal organisation who are able to go global and to
cross boundaries, so when there is building criminal partnership, working with other criminal
groups and manage trans-national criminal activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking,
and many other criminal activities. On the other side, it’s very difficult to build an international
partnership because of the sovereignty, because of the boundaries, because of the different
systems, judicial systems. Imagine that the common law and the civil code, civil law in Europe.
Imagine the different approach of a country like Italy and a country like Canada and then you
have the common law system in Italy. Being a member of a criminal organisation is a crime
because you can criminalise the membership in Canada, you can criminalise the membership, but
you can criminalise the participation in criminal activities and then use, if you can prove that an
individual is involved in the criminal activity, you can charge him with again a gangster. The
gangster is not a crime that stands alone so it’s very difficult to build a real partnership in part
there is no political will, for example. Sometimes they like the idea of getting money from
criminals especially from drug trafficking and they allow estimate. I give you an example, if you
go making an analysis of the most valuable homes in Vancouver or in Toronto, you see that a
large percentage of those properties belong to shell companies. Shell companies incorporated
outside of Canada and enabled to purchase real estate property in Canada without disclosing the
regional owner, the effective owner of that investment. So it’s a number, so imagine mobsters
incorporate a shell company in offshore countries and so that company purchased a property in
Canada. Canada does not require that the shell company identify the real owner of the property.
With that system, they can purchase using money from illegal activities and quick money and
laundered money because that is a legal loopholes that allow criminals to invest in our country
82
and this is only one example. I can probably give you many others, but these are the difficulties
that you face when you deal with organised crime.
S2 Right, okay, thank you. So I just have a couple of follow-up questions about that. What
would you say the effect on the Canadian and other economies is of shell companies which
[inaudible 01:21:02] organised crime organisations buying up properties?
S5 The current hyperinflation of the price in the sense that if I have to invest money and into
laundering money, I don’t care if a property costs three million or four million or five million, I
have to launder money, but if I’m a law-abiding citizen trying to purchase a property that costs
two or three million dollars, I have a problem and I’ll say that’s too high, the cost is just too high.
With this idea of investing money from outside, you can practically meet price of property to go
up through the roof, like increase, and you can create this babble, this real estate babble that this
kind of real estate’s speculation and situation in the real estate market. That’s the side effect of
that kind of investment, increase of the cost of properties.
S2 Right, okay, thank you. Now organised crime, a lot of the revenue from my research gets
laundered and it’s tax-free but to what extent does the revenue of organised crime benefit the
sovereign government of a nation? How much of it actually is able to be taxed?
S5 But they want to be taxed because that’s the only way to legitimise profits. The difficulty
is to identify the real investors because sometimes mobsters, they don’t invest money with their
name to government. The people that provide a name and face and they don’t really care, they
like to pay taxes. I’ll give you an example; if I open a restaurant, very [inaudible 01:23:22] and I
need an accountant or a bookkeeper just to print receipts so at the end of the day, I don’t care
how many clients I had. So if I had 12, 13, 15 people, it doesn’t matter because at the end of the
day, I can put it in the cash register like 5,000, $10,000 and just if I have an income from the
restaurant, those money coming from an illegal activity, that can be drug peddlers, the selling of
narcotics on the streets, and I can deposit in the cash register and they can punch a receipt
claiming that I made that through the restaurant and pay taxes and that’s the fastest way to clean
money, so $10,000, $5,000 from an illegal selling of narcotics and into restaurant and the owner
of the restaurant will claim that that’s the money from customers, pay taxes, and deposit their
money in the bank, so when the money become a blink on a computer screen, [inaudible
01:24:50] number, nobody can say if that’s clean or dirty money.
S2 They can’t tell.
S5 Yeah.
S2 This might be a little bit of a crazy question but organised crime is a massive industry. I
can assume they pay millions and millions of dollars in taxes a year. Would you say that what
the government’s able to do with this money outweighs the harmful effects that organised crime
has on society?
S5 I don’t think there is a political will to fight organised crime, so we have to be sure what
we define as organised crime because for example if you are involved within the public income
sector and you have to get public [inaudible 01:25:49] system and you can bribe politician, you
can bribe the bureaucrats, you can bribe everyone and you can then get money from government
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then pay taxes. It depends on what we consider organised crime because there are different types
of organised crime. There are people that see it as a dangerous element, there are people that
partner with politician and many other professionals and avoid any kind of violence and so you
won’t perceive them as criminals because to be a criminal, you have to of course use violence
but when we deal with the word ‘organised crime’ I think many people focus more on the word
‘crime’ than the word ‘organised’ and for that reason, you expect that the criminal organisations
are involved in violence and so you underestimate the importance of organisation aspect, the fact
that they are connected. Sometimes they don’t use violence but they use corruption and we don’t
do enough to fight corruption in our country. Actually, we don’t perceive Canada as a corrupted
country. I think this is one of the 10 least corrupted countries in the world and so sometimes,
we’re confused. Organised crime doesn’t mean anything, it’s like racketeering in the United
States. At one point, it was used to criminalise union organisers and that’s the way write it, so
racketeering control, the idea of unions trying to organise themselves against owners of
companies. So with the term of organised crime, first of all, it’s very difficult to define
organised crime. There is no one definition that is accepted by everyone in the world because
there are so many countries with different definition, description of organised crime and then
even in some countries, you perceive organised crime only when you see violence, like if you see
people dying on the street, you’re thinking that there is organised crime. If there is no violence,
you don’t perceive organised crime and you don’t really understand what’s going on behind the
scene.
S2 Right, I understand that. So I forgot to ask this question but going back to kind of what
we talked about, the effectiveness of international organisations, you said sovereignty makes it
difficult for organised crimes to be fought, so in your opinion, would you say that the organised
crime has an advantage over governments because they’re not restricted by sovereignty? Trans-
national organised crime?
S5 Yes, of course. They are borderless. When a country has to deal with organised crime
and especially with the borderless criminal organisation, they need to send [inaudible 01:29:42]
to another country and request their cooperation. Sometimes it’s not easy, like send a request of
cooperation to a country, like let’s say China, let’s say Bulgaria, and you won’t hear anything
from them for months. Canada, continue investigation on the other side, [inaudible 01:30:15]
someone that immediately understands the need of your request and immediately react by saying,
“Yes, we will cooperate on this operation and we will play our part in our country.” Sometimes,
that’s the problem so for example, when you think about fentanyl which is now that is of great
demand, you have to wait. Now, the Mexican are supporting fentanyl, China is supporting
fentanyl and sometimes you’re able to deal with your end of the story but some guy die on the
street for overdose and maybe you have a chance to catch the guy who sold fentanyl but to try to
dismantle the organisation, you have to deal with the people in Mexico if that’s the source of
fentanyl or people in China or [inaudible 01:31:29] country that use the most quantity of the
fentanyl in the world and if you don’t build the…if you don’t have that level of cooperation from
law enforcement agency, you cannot do anything. Like you can count that in the street, nothing
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more than that, especially with the cocaine. You need to imagine cocaine, you can use cocaine
only…coca leaves only in three countries, in Bolivia, in Colombia, in Peru, and what are the
chemical precursors you can make [inaudible 01:32:14] the cocaine and then cocaine…and then
most likely the cocaine…the one be shipped from Colombia or from Bolivia or from Peru but
from Argentina or from Brazil and then it goes in a container, maybe cross the Panama Strait,
maybe goes in Africa, maybe it goes through the Montreal Port and then through an indigenous
reservation across the border. You need cooperation and you need a huge level of cooperation in
several countries. That is what police operation is all about and to do that, you need intelligence,
you need to build intelligence, but we don’t really invest in intelligence and that’s the major
issue in the fight against organised crime.
S2 So would you say the onus to build that intelligence, does that fall on international
organisations such as Interpol and the UN or does that fall on the interaction between sovereign
states?
S5 Oh, that’s something to do with sovereign states. So you cannot build intelligence on the
level of Interpol or on the level of Europol in Europe. Each country has to contribute to sharing
intelligence but if you don’t invest in intelligence, how can you share intelligence? For example,
you go home, the criminal intelligence service of Canada and you see that they have a website
but I think last annual report date back a few years ago, so that’s the major issue. Police officer,
they want results. They don’t want to invest money just to build knowledge because that doesn’t
allow anyone to show up on a press conference and tell, “We arrested the 10, 25, 50 people.”
No, with intelligence, you build knowledge and then you can use that knowledge to arrest people
but if you don’t invest in intelligence and that’s what we lack. We are lacking intelligence at this
moment, this critical moment.
S2 Right, right. Going back a little bit to the Canadian government, in 2017, Transparency
International released a corruption perceptions index and the 2017 version has Canada ranked
number eight of the governments with the most transparency. To your knowledge, would you
say there is any level of corruption from organised crime within the Canadian government or the
Canadian judicial system?
S5 I think that we should just review the Charbonneau Commission to clear our doubts on
that issue. They have corruption. It’s not a problem related to Quebec. Quebec is not a distinct
society for corruption too. No, I think that there is corruption in many provinces, the problem is
we are not fighting corruption. I think a recent report highlights loopholes in Canadians’ laws
that could facilitate money laundering particularly in the real estate industry. There are
infiltration of criminals in the construction industry. There are infiltration in politics during the
Charbonneau Commission. Two mayors of Montreal were forced to resign and mayor in Laval
was forced to resign, so they’re not isolated cases. I think that there is a major issue with
corruption. The problem is I don’t think we do enough to fight corruption. If you go and look
into the Charbonneau Commission, I testified before the commission…
S2 Sorry what commission is that?
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S5 Charbonneau. Charbonneau. It’s a royal commission into the infiltration of the mafia
into the construction industry in Quebec. Charbonneau. And SNC-Lavalin was involved in that
investigation and that inquiry and the same company is at the centre of the political scandal
(Overlapping Conversation) so nothing changed.
S2 So a little bit out of left field here, right now SNC-Lavalin is involved because they
committed violations of workers’ rights and the laws around workers. Would you identify that
as a sort of organised crime?
S5 Nope, no. I [inaudible 01:38:16] the time of the Charbonneau Commission, the same
company was involved in the corruption scheme in the sense that the former vice president, Yves
Cadotte was forced to resign and he admitted that he paid $200,000 to the political leaders in
power in the city of Montreal to get them public contracts, so I’m talking about corruption,
particularly [inaudible 01:39:02] in the Charbonneau Commission, all that…there were cartel
[inaudible 01:39:22] to health companies but they get all the public contracts and they take 2.5%
to the mafia, 3% for the political in power, and 1% to engineer, to city engineers, so I’m talking
that kind of corruption.
S2 Well, so you’ve been a really big help, thank you. Would you be willing to answer one
or two more questions? Do you have the time to do that?
S5 Yeah, okay.
S2 I’ve actually had a lot of telephoning experts on organised crime in Canada specifically
and you seem to know a lot about that, would you be able to elaborate on the history of how
organised crime came to Canada and how it stayed relevant here?
S5 First of all, I think that organised crime was in Canada in the 1500 and 1600s at the time
of the pirates. I don’t think any brought organised crime in Canada. Organised crime was
already here and that was one of the first examples of organised crime, then there was some form
of organised crime in the 1800s. We had organisations such as the [inaudible 01:41:03] before
the confederation of Canada and they were, in some way, involved in some trans-national crime
connected to the United States. They had so many features of a modern criminal organisation
like total silence, rules, structure, a way of communicating, like a slang to communicate, but I
think when we start to perceive organised crime was at the end of 1800, the beginning of the
1900 when many criminals used the extortion lectures to ask us for money to businessmen and
what we perceive as the backend was an extortion [inaudible 01:42:09] available to many
criminals. Then I think what create the kind of the springboard for organised crime in Canada
and the United States was the temper in fact, the prohibition law. I think that was the best
opportunity that criminals had was an assist from politicians. They created the legislation, given
them an opportunity to create a network for the distribution of alcohol system and methodology.
The idea that anyone can be corrupted and so they started to use corruption to corrupt the people
at the border custom, to corrupt politicians, to corrupt the police officer, to corrupt judges. That
was the moment I think when we create a perfect setting for organised crime in North America.
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S2 Okay, thank you. Now kind of futuristic, what do you see as the best ways…first of all,
do you think we’re ever going to truly solve the issue of organised crime, and if we’re going to,
what needs to be done both in Canada and on a global scale?
S5 I don’t think there is an interest to fight organised crime and I think we’re lacking in
political will at the international level, at the level of Canada and there is no political
commitment to fight organised crime and the only way will be to share intelligence, to increase
corporation at the international level, to make a real commitment. In Canada for example, we
learned that after 9/11, many of the resources allocated to fight organised crime was moved to
the fight against the terrorists. So we learned from the former RCNT commissioner that they
dropped more than 100 cases against organised crime because they had to move. Even recently,
all the resource in the fight against terrorism for the national security investigation so I don’t
think there is a real intention to fight organised crime because to uncover and to fight organised
crime, you have to uncover the link of criminal organisations with politicians, professionals,
bankers, and many others. So to describe organised crime to my students at Queen’s, I use a
chemical formula for water. I say to my students that two atoms of hydrogen represents the
violence but the difference is the atom of oxygen which represents the connection to power, so if
we really want to fight organised crime, we have to go not only after the criminals, but also after
those that we can call enablers, what we can call the upper crust, people outside of criminal
organisations and that is the key element of the fight against organised crime, so if you go after
the criminals, you wont’ do anything, because there is like a line up people that want to join
criminal organisation. There’s no lack of vocation for criminals, but if you want to fight
organised crime, you have to uncover their leads to the so-called upper world. It’s the
underworld and the upper world, and then there is this grey zone where they can work together
for their mutual advantage, so if we want to organised crime, we have to start fighting
corruption, we have to start to go after professionals who help criminals to launder money, we
have to go after politicians who get money from criminals to fund their political campaigns, we
have to do many things and we’re not doing enough.
S2 Thank you. Do you have some time for a few more questions?
S5 Yes, another 10 minutes.
S2 Another 10 minutes, that’s perfect, thank you. So we’ve kind of started talking about the
control in the organised crime industry and I was talking to another gentleman yesterday that told
me about kind of the relationship between what he calls fragile states, countries that are strongly
economic or politically-based and the difference between states like the United States and
Canada where we’re a more developed nation. So in your opinion, what he’s kind of getting at is
that in developing, and I use Afghanistan as an example, that organised crime has control of that
place because it’s encompassing everything and the government can’t fight it, but in a place such
as America or Canada, the government is stable enough and the economy is stable enough to
fight it, would you agree with that thesis?
S5 No, not at all. Even in developed countries, just thinking about Afghanistan, thinking
about the Taliban, how thereafter the fight against Taliban, the prevention of opium increased so
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we put then the Taliban [inaudible 01:48:52] powers after the war so I don’t think it’s so
simplistic to divide the developed countries, an established country, thinking that the established
country, there is less crimes because we are able to control the narrative. There is another type
of crime which is the corporate crime which is worse than the real crime and all of those
countries are interconnected, so one will serve the purpose of the others. For example, there was
a moment when Afghanistan was important in the production of opium but now, 90% of opium
consumed in the United States comes from Mexico because they can produce opium, they have
an opium poppies and that changed everything in the globalisation of organised crime and there
are people that invest money worldwide, moving money. There’s an interconnection in terms of
crime and I don’t think it has to do with the developed and undeveloped country has to do with
strategy. With the geopolitics sometimes, you need a country, you make that country to war.
You don’t need a country because that country is not important, you don’t care, sometimes we do
war in some areas of the world because those areas are important for geopolitical reasons
because maybe they have oil, because they are important, strategically important for the largest
economies. There are places where people kill other people and there are thousands and
thousands of death every month, nobody cares because they are not important.
S2 Right, okay, thank you. We talked a little bit about international organisations such as
Interpol and the United Nations that are doing a little bit to fight against organised crime on a
global scale. Would you say in your opinion that there’s any corruption within these
international organisations?
S5 Well, it’s hard to say. You need an investigation to uncover corruption and we had an
example in the past. Yes, there were people, corruptors, other people, whole organisation is
corrupt. I don’t think there is an organisation that is fully corrupted, but they are ample
everywhere and that’s what the criminals are looking for, to identify the they’re ample and then
we can only [inaudible 01:52:04] to corrupt the Italian police force to learn that there is an
investigation against them. They meet a guy in a specific position as we learned from many
investigations so I think different level, the [inaudible 01:52:28] they are potential targets for
corruption, people that maybe need money. I remember I had a friend who was a great, great,
great police force officer in Quebec, but also, he had access to some sensitive information. One
day, because he needed money and because he was in debt because he had an issue with
gambling, he got that sensitive information was the list of their own informant the police in
Quebec and he called the lawyers who was the lawyers of the mobsters and he said that he’s
willing to share the information with the lawyer’s clients in exchange of money and because
those information was sensitive, just a few hours, police was able to track down and see that
someone had accessed it, to that information and withdrew that information, so as soon as he
learned that the police was aware of the [inaudible 01:53:47], he killed himself in a hotel room.
We don’t know if he was able to share that information with the lawyers who represent the
mobsters because [inaudible 01:54:03] he tried to kill himself before sharing that information
with the lawyers but I knew this guy and he was really one of the finest police officers but at one
point in his life, he had issues and he decided to knock at the door of a lawyer who represent the
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mobsters to search for money and in exchange of money, was going to give sensitive
information. So that’s what the mafia is all about. They’re appealing to corrupt people and this
guy was exchanging the sensitive information for money with a powerful criminal organisation,
such as the Rizzuto crime family in Quebec.
S2 Wow. I just lost you there for a second. I have two more questions if you have time.
S5 Okay.
S2 So my first is what’s the influence economically of organised crime on businesses that
are attempting to operating both in Canada and internationally?
S5 First of all, it’s difficult to quantify. The majority of organised crime group in Canada
have involvement in drug trafficking due to the high revenue of Canada’s important and export
to drug market. Canada black market, according to Havocscope is currently valued at
approximately 77.83 billion with drug trafficking accounting for 57%, 44.5 billion, so this is
what the noble black market information provide about black market crime in Canada. I listed
all the possible source of revenue for criminals.
S2 Right, okay, perfect, thank you. I have one more question just to kind of sum up
everything. I know you talked about it earlier, about defining organised crime and it’s
something…when I was doing my definition, I found it very difficult but in your opinion, what
would be the definition of organised crime?
S5 The definition of organised crime. Really, there no definition of organised crime because
from which perspective? From the law perspective? What do you mean? I don’t think there is a
definition that anyone can accept like organised crime is a continuing criminal enterprise that
rationally works to profit from an illicit agreement very often in great public demand. That can
be one. Its continuing existence is maintained through the use of force, monopoly, control and/or
the corruption of public officials, that can be a definition, but it’s not a definition that everyone
agrees. If you ask me to give you some features that can define organised crime, I can tell you
that organised crime, they don’t have a political goal. The goal of an organised crime group are
money and power, they have a hierarchical structure, a vertical power structure, not just the
leader and followers, they have membership, so they have limited or exclusive membership.
You can file an application, it’s published in the system, they identify you and they ask you to
join the organisation. There is a subculture that constitutes a unique subculture. For example, if
you know how to shoot with [inaudible 01:58:46], you will be seen as a strange guard but if you
know how to shoot in a gang, that can be an asset. Perpetuation, they’re here to perpetuate
yourself the idea that the life of a criminal organisation doesn’t end with the death of the boss.
The violence, and not only the ability to use guns, but their willingness to use illegal violence in
the sense that I can practice, I can use violence, but I’d be more dangerous if you perceived me
as a guy that have a willingness to use violence, [inaudible 01:59:31] approach, this idea that I
am a [inaudible 01:59:34] over territory, this is my turf, nobody can interfere with my territory
and rules, governed by rules and regulation, and connection and connectivity to power. They are
ready to build a network fast, so this is the ingredients to make a strong criminal organisation.
On the definition, you can get the definition from the anti-gang legislation, you can get the
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definition from the United Nations, from many other places. There is no consensus on the
definition. Really, many people have their definition of organised crime.
S2 Right. So would you say that the first step to combating organised crime would be to
agree on a global definition of what we’re trying to say?
S5 Yeah, of course. If you are able to define what you’re going to fight, it’s much better. If
you have issue with the definition, this is more difficult.
S2 You’ve given me a lot of information, more than I ever expected, thank you so much.
S5 You’re welcome.
S2 I really need to thank you. Are you open…I mean I’m writing kind of the end of the first
half of my paper, are you open to me contacting you with potentially some follow up questions
once I get into the second-half of my research?
S5 Yeah, that’s fine, yeah. Preferably in the country, I will travel in the next few months,
but you can reach me through my Queen’s account and if I will be able to answer by phone, I
will, otherwise I will reply by email.
S2 Okay, well that’s fantastic, thank you so much for everything.
S5 Okay, you’re welcome. Bye.
S2 Take care. Bye.
S5 Bye.
Figure 7 - Interview with James Forest
Responses for Jakob Graham questions re: Organized Crime

Organized crime can have a pretty broad definition, encompassing networks of street gangs who
sell drugs and fake watches as well as more sophisticated operational networks based in Russia,
China, Italy, Colombia or a number of other countries. Transnational crime organizations
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(TCOs) have been around for centuries, and have always posed a challenge to governments for
influence, legitimacy, and power. Black markets and shadow economies exist around the world
because the basic economic forces of supply and demand. TCOs look for opportunities to profit
by providing goods and services for which there is demand that is unmet by the legal, normal
markets. These goods and services can vary over a wide spectrum, and increasingly we see
TCOs using the Dark Web to arrange these profitable transactions. A list of recommended
resources is provided at the end of this document.
The economic forces of supply and demand that fuel organized crime are global in nature, and
there are many internationally-connected networks involved in organized crime. As such, no one
country can tackle this problem on its own.
Well, the core primary origin of organized crime is greed and human nature, as well as our innate
human ability to figure our way around obstacles to get what we want. If you are asking about
the origins of a specific kind of organized crime, it would depend on the exact type of trafficking
they’re engaged in, but in general there has always been a market for those who will meet the
market demand for prostitution, drugs and weapons.
What sort of “position of power” are you referring to? Are you suggesting that TCOs today are
somehow more powerful internationally than they were 100 years ago? I have not seen any data
or evidence to support such a claim.
In which regions of the world does organized crime have the biggest social, political, and
economic impact?
TCOs seem to flourish best in places where government legitimacy is low and opportunities in
the legal economy are limited. A TCO would prefer a weak state with a reasonably functioning
infrastructure – especially with reliable electricity, decent roads, a reliable banking system, an
international airport and a maritime port – rather than a failed state in which none of these things
are available. But in terms of “biggest impact” there is no exact way to answer this because of all
the contextual variation. One could argue that the countries with the strongest consumer markets
for heroin (e.g. in Europe) are where the traffickers of heroin have the biggest social, political
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and economic impact. But one could also argue that the source countries of opium and heroin
(e.g. Afghanistan, Burma) are where the traffickers of heroin have the biggest social, political
and economic impact.
There are many different regions that could be described this way. West Africa is a trafficking
hub for drugs (mainly cocaine) making their way from Latin America to Europe, as well as for
trafficking in weapons and humans, while East Africa if a trafficking hub for illicit wildlife
(ivory tusks, rhino horns, etc.), and Turkey is a trafficking hub for drugs (mainly opium and
heroin) making their way from Asia to Europe. Of course, Central America is a trafficking hub
for drugs heading to North America. Southeast Asia is a hub for human trafficking and sex
tourism. Overall, it really depends on which kinds of organized crime you’re looking at, and
what kinds of illegal goods or services they specialize in.
How effective are international organizations, such as the United Nations and Interpol, in
combating organized crime?
Assessing the effectiveness of international organizations is a virtually impossible task. One type
of data, gathered somewhere at a certain point in time, can indicate they are effective, while
another type of data, gathered somewhere else at a different point in time, could indicate they are
wholly ineffective. Thus, the real answer to this question is: it depends. Assessing the
effectiveness of any organization is largely a contextual matter, not something that can be
meaningfully generalized.
Is there any corruption within the UN or Interpol from organized crime?
Not to my knowledge, but anything is possible.
governments, organized crime groups, international organizations, etc.)
I am not sure what kind of answer you are looking for here. To begin with, there is no singular
“the power and control” when it comes to anything so complex as this area of human behavior.
TCOs have certain kinds of power, governments have certain kinds of power, international
organizations have certain kinds of power. Broadly speaking, governments (and in some cases
international organizations, when governments collaborate) are in a constant struggle against
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TCOs for influence and legitimacy, as described above. Black markets and shadow economies
exist around the world because the basic economic forces of supply and demand. TCOs look for
opportunities to profit by providing goods and services for which there is demand that is unmet
by the legal, normal markets.
Recommended Resources
● Interpol, “Organized Crime Underpins Major Conflicts and Terrorism” (September 26,
2018). Online at: https://bit.ly/2TSPjQ4
● United Nations Fact Sheets
○ Organized Crime: http://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/organized-crime.html
○ Human Trafficking: http://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/human-trafficking.html
○ Migrant Smuggling: http://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/migrant-smuggling.html
○ Counterfeit Products: http://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/counterfeit-goods.html
● FBI list and descriptions of major organized crime groups: https://bit.ly/2TjDT7X
● U.S. Department of Treasury, Money Laundering Threat Assessment:
https://bit.ly/2Tdzxiz
● U.S. Strategy for Combating Transnational Organized Crime (Fact Sheet):
https://bit.ly/2rk3grL
● UNODC, “Counterfeit: Don’t buy into organized crime” campaign (January 14, 2014).
Online at: https://bit.ly/2RzDXUs
I also recommended watching a recent INTERPOL video, World Atlas of Illicit Flows, which is
available online at: https://youtu.be/rvp2qHn_ugQ
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Figure 8 - Interview with Vesna Markovic
Answers to the questions. Dr. Vesna Markovic
There are many facets that come into play when defining something as complex as organized
crime. When we talk about organized crime, we are generally referring to a highly centralized
group of individuals (who may cluster based on ethnic origin or common background) who are
involved in illegal activities with the motivation of making a profit. These individuals may be
organized and work locally, nationally, and nowadays internationally. Due to the nature of
organized crime, many of the groups have connections abroad and therefore making these crimes
transnational. So, even if a group operates locally and their illegal activity is dealing drugs; they
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still need to get those drugs from somewhere. Many of the drugs do come from another country,
therefore, even though the group operates locally, they still have a transnational component.
Globalization has changed the face of organized crime, which is why it is commonly referred to
as transnational organized crime. The improvements in telecommunication, transportation, etc.
have made it easier for people to communicate and travel, but it also has made it easier for
people to commit crime. Many crimes now involve multiple countries all over the world. These
crimes include drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking and human smuggling,
counterfeit products, etc.
This question is a little more difficult to answer. The idea of groups of criminals working
together with the idea of making profit has been around for a long time. The term itself started
being more commonly used in the early 1900s with the Chicago Crime Commission
(http://www.chicagocrimecommission.org/) and their relentless pursuit of gangsters in Chicago,
the most notorious being Alphonse Capone (Scarface Al).
What is the influence of organized crime on businesses attempting to operate within the
law?
There are so many ways in which organized crime influences businesses that operate within the
law. I will just give you an example of one or two, because there are too many to enumerate here.
The first example will be based on the crime of counterfeit products. This is probably one of the
most obvious examples of the way that organized crime can influence businesses. When a
legitimate business - whether they make designer accessories such as purses, watches, and
sunglasses, or a pharmaceutical company which makes potentially life-saving drugs – is
dependent on profits they make from the sale of their products, they are severely hurt in several
ways by organized criminals. For example, you can go to a flea market and purchase a pair of
“Gucci” glasses, or a “Prada” purse for $50, but what this does is hurt the brand because
someone is selling cheap knock-offs that fall apart quickly and therefore decrease the value of
the brand. In some cases these counterfeit products can be very dangerous, for example
counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Due to the fact that counterfeit pharmaceuticals do not go through
the regulatory process, who knows what is actually in the pills that are being used by consumers.
Organized crime can also influence things other than businesses. If there is an influx of
dangerous drugs for example, this can cause a major issue for local police, EMTs, and hospitals.
Last year, for example, synthetic marijuana K2 was brought in and sold, but it was laced with
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fentanyl which is a very dangerous drug. There were more than 90 overdoses in one day
(https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/15/health/new-haven-overdoses/index.html). The number of
narcan doses that police administered that day, the ambulances, and medical staff required to
care for people taxes the system.
Another impact can be to the government. In one example, a group of men in North Carolina
where selling cigarettes with counterfeit tax stamps, and the profits were used to fund the
terrorist group Hezbollah. They would purchase cigarettes in North Carolina (where at the time
the tax per carton of cigarettes was 50 cents), and transport them to Michigan where the tax per
carton was 12.50 at the time. Therefore on each carton they were making a profit of $12.00.
(https://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20030206/cigarette-smuggling-suspects-denied-bond)
I am not sure I understand what you are trying to ask here. Are you interested in how impactful it
has become internationally, or how prominent people within organized crime have risen to
positions of power (like an El Chapo for example?).
Governments, organized crime groups, international organizations, etc.)
Well this really depends on the country we are talking about. Some countries have a stronger rule
of law and are able to control these elements to some level, while other countries have a much
harder time in being able to control this. There are examples from many countries in the world
where organized crime is so influential that these individuals live like kings without any
interference from the government (Such as El Chapo making Forbes Billionaires list, and Most
Powerful People Rankings, also Dawood Ibrahim - https://www.forbes.com/profile/dawood-
ibrahim-kaskar/#314aef5b221e)
What is the influence of religion on organized crime, both in North America and abroad?
Depending on the region there is not much influence of religion on organized crime, although
there are some people that have some religious beliefs. If I were you, I would take a look at Jesus
96
Malverde (https://religionnews.com/2017/05/02/worshipping-the-patron-saint-of-drug-
traffickers-in-mexico/)
There are so many hubs around the world for organized crime depending on the type of
organized crime you are interested in. For drugs here is an article I wrote that has some info
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323410073_Drug_Trafficking). If you want info on
other types of crimes you can do some research with UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crimes) also the Department of State has a report on Human Trafficking which will list
countries that are origin countries (countries where the trafficked individuals originate),
transshipment countries, and destination countries
(https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/282798.pdf)
You can also find more information from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315947171_The_Contemporary_Face_of_Transnationl
_Criminal_Organizations_and_the_Threat_They_Pose_to_US_National_Interests_A_Global_Pe
rspective
Figure 9 - Interview with Philip Boyle
*S1 - Jakob Graham

*S2 - Philip Boyle
S1 Okay, perfect.
S2 Did you happen to see the list of questions I sent over a little while ago?
S1 I did. I’m just pulling them up on my computer right now because I jotted out some
notes too.
S2 Oh perfect.
S1 So yeah, so tell me about what it is you’re doing again.
S2 So I’m part of programme at my high school, it’s called ‘Global Perspectives’, so
basically we do some travelling abroad, learning a lot about the world but I’m writing a long
report about organised crime, trans-national organised crime globally.
S1 Okay.
97
S2 So I guess my first question to you I’ve had a little bit of trouble with us what is the
primary origin of organised crime?
S1 The origins of organised crime? Well, here in Canada…is that what you mean, here in
Canada?
S2 Yes. Canada specifically.
S1 Yeah, so I mean probably the closest thing that Canada has to what’s popularly
understood as organised crime is the Rizzuto family in Montreal. I’m not sure if you’re familiar
with them.
S2 A little bit, yeah.
S1 But they sort of conform to the classical or popular understanding of the crime family,
sort of like that which is popularised in Godfather and GoodFellas and Sopranos and things like
that. So they have a history going back to…I think Vito Rizzuto himself to the 1970s and 1980s.
He was an associate of the New York crime families and came up that way. By the ‘80s and
‘90s, he was really dominant in Montreal. I think he spent about 10 years in prison and during
that time, a lot of his organisation was killed off by competitors and he was never really able to
establish himself after that again and I believe he died maybe five- (Audio Stops)
S1 Okay, perfect.
notes too.
S2 Oh perfect.
S1 Okay.
Canada?
with them.
S1 But they sort of conform to- (Audio Cuts)
notes too.
S2 Oh perfect.
98

S1 Okay.
Canada?
with them.
S1 But they sort of conform to the classical or popular understanding of the crime family,
sort of like that which is popularised in Godfather and GoodFellas and Sopranos and things like
that. So they have a history going back to I think Vito Rizzuto himself to the 1970s and 1980s.
He was an associate of the New York crime families and came up that way. By the ‘80s and
‘90s, he was really dominant in Montreal. I think he spent about 10 years in prison and during
that time, a lot of his organisation was killed off by competitors and he was never really able to
establish himself after that again and I believe he died maybe five years in prison. So in Canada
at least, that’s sort of the closest thing we have to what’s popularly understood as an organised
crime group or an organised family. But as for the origins of organised criminal activity, the
origins are the way that society is organised. If it’s profitable to be engaged in illegal or illicit
behaviour, then people will be and people will organise themselves so as to make lots of money.
So, you know, organised crime is a product of the way that society itself is organised.
S2 Right, okay, thank you. What would you say the influence of religion is on organised
crime in Canada and the world?
S1 Yeah, I mean I don’t know what the causal relationship is there, but certainly there
is…you know, when we look at sort of traditional organised crime groupings again, like sort of
the Italian families, the Mafia-based families, there is an affinity there and I say affinity which is
to say I don’t know what the causation is between one or the other but there seems to be an
affinity between those types of groups and the Catholic church and, you know, it’s not that I
think Catholic teachings themselves have anything to do with engaging in crime but I think any
sort of religious organisation or any way organising religious beliefs that emphasises hierarchy
and which empathises following the teachings of a leader higher up in the organisation will be
able to overlap with criminal groups as well because they operate under very similar types of
principles and it’s been interesting to see over the last number of years the Catholic church both
here in Canada specifically with Vito Rizzuto but also in Italy, they’ve really struggled with how
to reconcile the fact that many well-known criminal leaders are good Catholics, right? They give
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back to their community, they’re very well-known in their community, they’re well-known in the
churches and typically, when these prominent people pass away, the Catholic church has
struggled with do we give them a full Catholic funeral procession, which runs the risk of sort of
mythologising their criminal past as well and making it look glamorous, and so the church has
really struggled with how to do one without glamorising the other.
S2 Right, that makes sense, thank you. How effective are international organisations such as
the United Nations and Interpol in combating organised crime?
S1 How effective are they?
S2 Yes.
S1 Probably not very. I mean I think that international organisations and domestic
organisations working internationally like the RCMT or the FBI in the United States, they
certainly have their successes, so the trial and jailing of El Chapo in New York. So he was the
big Mexican drug cartel leader who was finally caught and finally incarcerated after escaping
prison and so on. He was a big, high-profile success. Overall, I think those successes are few
and far in between. You know, the other difficulty is how do you define success, right? I think
that if it’s in terms of imprisoning people, I don’t know if that’s necessarily a success or if it’s
disrupting criminal organisations, keeping them on their back feet. You know, that might be a
different measure of success, but crime will continue and some of that crime will be organised
internationally in the sort of globalised environment that we live in. I think the challenge is to
keep it as minimal as possible rather than to try to eradicate it which is how government
organisations like to talk about organised crime, eradicating. You know, that will never happen.
S2 You don’t think that possible?
S1 No, I don’t. I don’t think it’s possible to eradicate organised crime anymore than it’s
possible to eradicate regular crime. I think the only reasonable goal is to keep it at manageable
levels.
S2 Okay, thank you. Now talking about international organisations, is there any corruption
within either the UN or Interpol or the Canadian government from organised crime?
S1 Yeah, I saw that question and it’s…I mean the only thing I can say about it is probably,
but I can’t tell you with any definitive…you know, I can’t point you to any stats or anything on
that but probably. In Canada right now, there’s the big issue in Ottawa related to SNC-Lavalin
and that’s a case of sort of corporate corruption, if you will, corporate bribery, and then the
question of political tolerance to that kind of corporate behaviour as to whether the current
government was trying to pressure the justice minister to do one thing or the other, so that’s not
so much a question of corruption in government but a tolerance of corruption and it seems that
the federal government was pressing the minister to be tolerant to that sort of trans-national
corruption, if you will, at least if it was corruption elsewhere. It sort of seems to be the position,
but that’s a very hypocritical position to be in, I think.
S2 Right, okay, thank you. Kind of talking about the SNC-Lavalin case, what is the
influence of organised crime on businesses that are attempting to operate within the law?
100
S1 Yeah, domestically, a good example of that is what happened with the Charbonneau
Commission in Quebec, the province of Quebec, where you had a number of construction
companies who were agreeing with one another about who was going to get what construction
contract from the government at what price and they took the lion’s share of contracts, divided
them up, had to work with Hells Angels and work with the Rizzuto family to enforce this form of
economic corruption. For any law-abiding business who was playing by the rules and above the
board they would have no chance to get any of those contracts, so it unfairly tilts the playing
field against those who are playing by the rules which will have economic ripple effects for the
people who work for those companies and the people who own those companies and so on.
Internationally, if a company like SNC is bribing the leaders of other governments to get their
contracts, it similarly tips the playing field against the companies that are domestic to those
countries which means that the money is being spent on building bridges, road, hospitals, and
things like that are being extracted from that country rather than being spent inside the country
where the money can stay as an investment and as wages and as income for people, so that has a
way of entrenching inequality around the world as well.
S2 Right, okay, thank you. Now, would you say that that happens often? The scales being
tipped unfairly?
S1 I think it happens more often than we know and more often than people who do know are
willing to admit. I think it’s just sort of seem as for western businesses anyway the cost of doing
business in developing countries. It’s just another invoice that needs to be paid, but it
structurally ensures that the west is rich and other countries stay not rich.
S2 So you’d say that organised crime has a big effect economically on developing countries
staying as developing countries?
S1 Well, I mean I would say that corruption does, yes, which is, you know, a little bit
different than organised crime, but I would say that corporate corruption does. Yeah, absolutely.
And if that corporate corruption means working with sort of crime groups in those countries
which, you know, I can’t think of an example right now but has happened, then certainly there’s
a lot of overlap there between the issue of international corporate corruption and local organised
crime, absolutely.
S2 Okay, thank you. Talking specifically about Canada, how has organised crime
historically kind of developed into a problem here?
S1 Yeah, you know, I mean aside from the Rizzutos, we don’t have…maybe there’s some
west coast gangs out in Vancouver and that area, but we don’t have a long history of really high-
profile organised crime in the same way that the United States does, yet a lot of our laws and
policies that we have have really been shaped by the US experience and in some cases, directly
important from the US experience and specifically their experience with drug trafficking. So a
lot of our policy sort of follow on the US model even though there’s problems with that model,
so one of the things I talk about in the class when I teach is that the US focuses on criminalising
certain types of behaviour. So classically speaking, they outlawed alcohol during the prohibition
period and then went after the bootleggers, the people producing alcohol. They tried to
101
criminalise them, they tried to combat them, they tried to put them in jail. Ultimately at the end,
they changed the laws around alcohol but the US still when it comes to prostitution or gambling
or all kinds of other activities, has like a criminalised and police type of model, a crime control
model, and that’s reflected in their roles and it’s reflected in our laws. We have a crime control
model when it comes to organised crime. Now the alternative would be to focus more on
removing or changing the laws and regulations that we have that make some activities profitable
and so one good example and I think a very positive thing that Canada has done recently is to
decriminalise marijuana. That will probably…it won’t eradicate, but it will put a damper on
some of the profits around marijuana, it’ll make it less of an attractive product for people to
traffic in and to sell, it would be less profits generated from all of that, that I think is a good
move and will have an impact on organised crime. Of course it won’t eradicate it but it might
put a damper on things. I mean that’s the alternative rather than to criminalise, incarcerate, and
police.
S2 Okay, thank you. Now you mentioned a little bit about prohibition but from a little bit of
my research, I kind of figured out that that was the first incidence of organised crime kind of
crossing the Canadian-USA border, would you be able to elaborate on that a little bit?
S1 Yeah. I don’t know if I can elaborate maybe as much as you would like but certainly
because Canada has no such prohibition on alcohol and the US did, in places like Windsor where
the United States was directly across the border or Buffalo, there would’ve been a tremendous
economic incentive to buy a product fully legal in Canada, smuggle it into the US with the size
of our borders and the state of border control back in the 1930s, it would’ve been quite easy to
smuggle a legal product in Canada illegally into the US. There would’ve been tremendous
incentive to do that and it’s no wonder why people did it and got quite rich doing it, so I think
again, I’m sort of unable to…I don’t know too much about the details of the history but I think
the wider principle that it illuminates is wherever you have differences in legal regimes regarding
a product like that, whether it’s tobacco or marijuana or prostitution or gambling, wherever you
have a really start difference in regulatory regimes that close to one another, you’re bound to
have people taking advantage of the economic incentive that that produces.
S2 So you’d say that the difference in law across borders are kind of…like gives organised
crime opportunity to make profit?
S1 Absolutely, yes, yeah. Yeah, so one of the responses that flows form that is to try to
harmonise legal regimes across borders so that there’s not a $10 or $50 difference in this bottle
booze from the Ontario side of the border to the New York side of the border because of legal
regimes, so this was a problem that came up even internal to Canada with cigarette taxes in the
1990s. There were huge tax differentials between cigarettes in Quebec and cigarettes in Ontario
and then you threw in the added complication with some indigenous reservations paying no taxes
at all and so same thing, there was tremendous economic incentive for people to buy cigarettes in
one province, drive them to another province and sell them to you legally. You didn’t even have
to cross an international border. That became a really profitable enterprise for criminal
organisations to make money to fund their other operations.
102
S2 Right. So as a solution to organised crime, you said we’ll never be able to solve it as a
whole, would you say that to combat it slightly, we would have to harmonise legal regimes?
S1 Yes, I would, both inside Canada and internationally as well. I mean mostly when it
comes to Canada, mostly with respect to the United States because we don’t share a land border
with anybody else. You know, in the EU, it’s a little bit different where you have so many
countries sharing borders with one another. We’re relatively isolated in that respect, but still,
yes, international harmonisation, yeah, that’s got to be part of a solution.
S2 Thank you. That’s all my questions. I really appreciate your help.
S1 Yeah.
S2 Now, one big section of my study is the connection to Canada. If I come across for the
questions later, would you be open to me contacting you again?
S1 Yeah, yeah, sure. I can do that.
S2 I appreciate that a lot. Thank you very much.
S1 Yeah, no problem, just send me an email and we’ll work something out.
S2 I will for sure. Thank you.
S1 Okay, take care, take care.
S2 Bye.
S1 Okay, bye. (Audio Ends)
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Figure 10 - Interview with Eric Olson
*S2 - Jakob Graham

*S3 - Eric Olson
S2 Perfect, there we are. So my first question to you is why is organised crime a global
issue?
S3 Well probably two things. One is because it operates not within borders but across
boarders, that’s why we call it trans-national crime, so by its very definition it’s a global issue
because it operates across borders and between countries and has tentacles that go very far, but
also, it’s a global issue because organised crime usually represents the absence of the state and so
it becomes organisations that take advantage of the lack of state action in a particular area, the
absence of the state and so that makes it possible for it to operate in many levels and becomes a
threat to the state, the government, and country.
S2 All right, thank you. How effective are international organisations such as the United
Nations and Interpol at combating organised crime?
S3 I mean I guess you have to ask what do you mean by ‘effective’? I mean they are
effective in certain areas which is communications between countries and the law enforcements
of certain countries so let’s take this to make up an example. Let’s say there’s a criminal kingpin
operating in Country A and he flees and goes to come to Country D, then the Country A can ask
Country D to pick him up even though he may not have committed a crime in Country D and so
they can operate in multiple countries and these show relatively effectively in so far as there’s
communication and coordination and cooperation but that in and of itself does not mean the
demise of organised crime or it would’ve been gone a long time ago. That’s just one element
104
and that’s what Interpol is able to do, have people on watch lists and cooperate between law
enforcement agencies between different countries, but the bigger question is what is an effective
strategy for dealing with organised crime and obviously, none of the international agencies have
the capacity to deal with all these problems on their own.
S2 Thank you. Now, I know your expertise is maybe Central American Mexico, so what are
the major organised crime hubs in the areas and what flows through these hubs?
S3 Say that last part again? I’m an expert on Central American Mexico, but what was the
question?
S2 So what are the major organised crime hubs in Central American Mexico and what flows
through these hubs?
S3 Well, I mean…yeah, it depends what you mean by hubs. I mean there are routes that
flow through Central American Mexico. Probably the most important points on the routes are
when they cross the border. So the entry points into the United States might be major points of
activity, but they move…assuming we’re talking about drugs, illicit drugs, they move over land,
in the air, and by the sea and it’s more a question of routes than hubs. I guess I’m not what you
mean by the word ‘hub’. I mean I think of hubs as like maybe Toronto is an airport hub or
people fly in to Toronto and then go out of Toronto but [inaudible 00:34:35] so much in
organised crime.
S2 Okay, so what would you say are the major routes within Mexico and Central America,
the most major?
S3 Well, I mean if I were you, I would Google something like aerial and maritime routes for
organised crime in Central America just Google something like that and you’ll see the classified
photos and it’ll give you an idea. There are literally thousands of routes but I think the points
where…because they never go the same way and if there’s a police checkpoint, let’s say, then
they go around it. A lot of it comes through areas of the Atlantic coast in Nicaragua where
there’s not a very thick state presence, in the Mosquitia of Honduras on one northern shore of
Honduras, across the highlands of Guatemala and into various crossing points into Mexico but
those are the landed routes. There are aerial routes and maritime routes and I think you just
Google those things look at those maps, you’d get a sense of the tremendous diversity and
different ways in which things…you know, illicit drugs are moved. Some of it comes from
Colombia into Venezuela and off the Caribbean Coast, others come from Colombia and Ecuador
way out into the Pacific Ocean and around and then into the United States so there’s literally
thousands of different routes.
S2 Right, thank you. What is the impact…I’ve got to [inaudible 00:36:41] relate it back to
Canada, the impact on Canada, so how does the organised crime in Central America influence
organised crime in Canada or Canada in general?
S3 Well, I’m probably not the best person to ask that question because I’m not an expert on
organised crime in Canada. We know that a vast majority of…well, 100% basically of cocaine is
cultivated in the Andes region so to the extent that there’s cocaine consumption in Canada which
I’m sure there is, that means that that cocaine is coming through the Andes, Central America,
105
probably into the United States and onto Canada but it can be going through aerial routes and
again, maritime routes but then Canadian organised crime together with Mexican or Colombian
organised crime develop their own distribution routes across the country, but I’m not a real
expert on organised crime in Canada so I’m maybe not the best to ask.
S2 Okay. Thank you. Now, this is why I’ve talked to a couple of other experts in this field
and they’ve all had different opinions, but to you, what is the definition of ‘organised crime’?
How do you define it?
S3 Well, it’s most basic definition is when three or more people or individuals conspire
together to commit crimes over a long period of time. If three of us get together and decide to
shoot somebody, that’s not organised crime, that’s their own thing, but if we work together to
extort money consistently from store fronts in Toronto, that’s organised crime because we’re
working together to make crimes over a period of time. Now obviously, trafficking organisation
are much bigger and more complex than three people extorting money but it’s a ramping up of
that. That’s kind of the minimal core definition of organised crime.
S2 Okay, thank you. This is another one I’ve gotten a little bit of mixed answers and I know
especially I’m sure that the whole [inaudible 00:39:20] Central America and Mexico but what’s
the influence of religion on organised crime?
S3 Well, yeah, I mean that’s a tough question. I mean there are times at which especially in
Mexico, there have been quasi-religious elements to criminal activity, the Familia Michoacana
or Michoacán had a leader who professed to being a Christian and had certain Christian ethics in
his criminal activity and it was bizarre at it sounds, there was sort of an overlay and appeal to
ethics in his behaviour as a crime boss and organised crime. There have been these sort of
developments of pseudo-religion La Santa Muerte where they worship the saint of the dead. It’s
common also amongst youth gangs in Mexico. So there are elements of overlap and appeal to
ethics and morality amongst these criminal groups, but I wouldn’t say that that’s an
overwhelming component. I mean that’s a small element, it’s maybe a fringe element of extreme
groups that engage in that kind of activity.
S2 Okay, thank you. This is another one I’ve gotten a lot of mixed answers on but in your
opinion, what’s the primary origin of organised crime? The very first instance?
S3 I mean they always say prostitution is the oldest crime and prostitution is involved in
some kind of system in which multiple women are being exploited by somebody in a business so
I’m guessing it’s something along those lines but I’m not an expert on that area as well.
S2 Okay, that’s actually something I haven’t heard before so I’ll definitely want to look into
that. Especially in Central America and Mexico, there’s a lot of areas that are struggling to get
out of poverty. How does organised crime have an impact on legitimate businesses and people
stirring in poverty and not being able to flourish economically?
S3 Well, I mean…oftentimes, organised crime is seen as an economic alternative for poor
farmers, poor urban dwellers who make good money participating in drug trafficking and other
forms of organised crime, so that’s I think one element you have to keep in mind. For example,
we just published a report on poor farmers in Mexico who have become poppy cultivators
106
because they can make three, four, five more times income a year than they can growing corn or
bees or whatever the consumption crop might be, so in many ways, it provides new economic
opportunities. There’s other ways. People become trapped by organised crime in a very
exploitative relationship; prostitution, smuggling, human smuggling, sometimes the low-level
drug dealer is also a drug addict and there’s always ways in which people become trapped in
criminal activity that keeps them in poverty. Youth gangs are notorious about this, MS-13 and
other gangs, people that are members of those gangs are not becoming wealthy or rich the way
say El Chapo Guzmán becomes. They’re in it for their own self protection and for their own
identity but not to become wealthy.
S2 Great. In a region like Central America and countries that not this…not many with a
strong government system, so where does the power and control lie relating to organised crime?
Does government have power to [inaudible 00:44:35] controlled by organised crime groups?
S3 Yeah, I mean I think that’s a big problem, the…as I said in my first number, organised
crime often exists where the government doesn’t exist and I mean that in also in the sense where
government is maybe physically present but ineffective and exploited and what we call captured
by organised crimes, so there are many, many cases where local government, state government,
even federal government at times has been captured by organised crime and that presents
enormous problems in those particular cases. Some people are arguing, not me necessarily, but
some people would say Venezuela’s a narco state where the government basically survives
because of its involvement in the drug trade and that’s why they want to remain in power
because they’re engaged in all this illegal activity. That would be an example. I don’t know of
any other country in the Americas that would come close to that but there’s certainly enormous
capture of the state in Central America, in Honduras, Guatemala, parts of El Salvador, parts of
Colombia, where the state is really not in control and that’s where organised crime roots flourish
and grow.
S2 So in your opinion, would you say the lack…I mean Central America’s known as
probably one of the regions of the world with the least established governments as a region,
would you say that organised crime on a global scale is most prominent in Central America?
S3 Well, I’m not sure I would say it exactly that way but what I would say is Central
America, particularly the northern triangle countries of Honduras, Salvador, and Guatemala have
major problems with organised crime in large part because they have such weak governments.
Their government institutions are so weak. Their prosecutors don’t prosecute and not
independent, the courts are not independent and controlled by the executive, oftentimes many of
the executive branch members are either on the payroll or part of a criminal organisation, so
that’s widespread in Central America and parts of Mexico as well without a doubt.
S2 Right, now are there- do you know if there’ve been any studies conducted around those
three northern triangle countries and the corruption within them?
S3 Well, I mean yeah, there’s been a lot. We’ve written a lot on the northern triangle and
organised crime over the years. There’s considerable work done by different organisations about
corruption and failures of the government in all three of those countries, and particularly
107
Guatemala and Honduras. Guatemala is a UN anti-corruption mechanism, they’ve done a lot of

reports and fees and prosecutions, they basically forced the president to leave office and he found
jail and Honduras is an OAS mechanism doing similar type work so yeah, we’ve done a lot of
studying about corruption and failures of the state in the northern triangle and especially in
Honduras and Guatemala.
S2 Thank you. [inaudible 00:48:42] something I will account for sure. Now on the topic of
corruption, what are the chances of corruption within international organisations like the UN or
Interpol?
S3 What are what?
S2 What are the chances of corruption within the United Nations or Interpol for organised
crime?
S3 Oh, I think it exists. I think you just have to do some basic Google searches. There have
been a number of cases, one involving a Swedish diplomat named Anders Kompass who
denounced unethical behaviour within the United Nations. I’m less familiar with Interpol but
there have been cases of UN doing things wrong. Some is inescapable and even happens with
the Canadian government, it happens with the US government. The question is how pervasive is
it and are those institutions able to police themselves and reverse the damage done. In Central
America, those countries are really not in a position to be able to do that on their own because
their institutions are so weak and hollowed out. You know, the question of the UN and its
problems, different types of corruption…I’m not sure what to tell you. I’ve looked and studied
that. Certainly, if you dig up a case of Anders Kompass, the Swedish diplomat, it’s very
troubling and he was forced out of his position at the UN because he was denouncing unethical
behaviour.
S2 All right, now he wasn’t being unethical himself, he denounced it and…?
S3 Yeah, he was a whistle- (Audio Cuts Out) shortcomings of the UN.
S2 Okay, thank you. One of my…we’re still probably looking into this, I got on the topic of
control and looking at a country like Afghanistan where there’s a lot of terrorism there, what role
does terrorism play in relation to organised crime?
S3 Well, again, I’m only an expert on Mexico and Central America. I can’t speak to you of
Afghanistan or Asia or any other part of the world but I think we don’t see a lot of evidence on
this in Mexico and Central America. Look at the state department’s annual report on terrorism,
you can see where they say there’s problems in Mexico and Central America, they don’t report
major problems. Now, there are always concerns when a government is weak, when there’s
corruption that the terrorist organisations could try to take advantage of it, but by and large,
terrorist organisations have not tried to get involved with Mexico because it’s close to the United
States and they know the US would be super sensitive to it and actually, [inaudible 00:52:10] so I
don’t believe that it’s a major issue like the Taliban, ISIS. We don’t have much engagement and
involvement directly in these countries, but there are people that argue there is. There are people
that have a different opinion. [inaudible 00:52:38] for one would be one of those people but I
think if you look at the state department’s annual report on terrorism, you’ll see that they don’t
108
tolerate any of those kinds of problems. The potential, yes, but the actual existence of the
problem is not very real. It hasn’t happened, it’s not been done.
S2 Great. Okay, thank you. Do you have time for another question or two?
S3 Yeah, let’s make this the last one.
S2 Okay, sure. So we talked…you mentioned a little bit about the Venezuelan government
wanting to stay in power because there’s been talk about corruption and drug corruption within
it, so what is the role of first-world countries such as the US? How do they work to support
regimes that are corrupt to try and get those regimes out of power?
S3 Well, they’re not trying to support the regime. In fact, they’re trying to do exactly the
opposite. What they’ve done is try to isolate them diplomatically as much as possible and then
put sanctions on those individuals who they believe are engaged in criminal activity and also
sanction different that have been involved with them and prohibited US businesses or
international businesses including Canadian businesses who do business in the United States
from engaging in business with Venezuela, so their reach is pretty far and they try to create
enormous economic obstacles to both the government and the individuals that they believe are
engaged in that kind of criminal activity.
S2 All right. Thank you. What you talked about [inaudible 00:54:50] good idea for a case
study about Central America, would you open to me if I have any further questions about just
Central America specifically? Would you be open to being contacted again?
S3 Yeah, I mean it always depends on the timing and how much, yeah. Sure, send me an
email, I’ll do the best I can.
S2 Okay. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.
S3 Goodbye.
S2 Thank you. Take care. Bye. (Audio Ends)
109
Figure 11 - Interview with James Dubro
*Due to technological issues, a transcript for this interview was not produced. The audio file is
accessible through an email sent to the reader.
110
Figure 12
111
Figure 13
Article 32. Conference of the Parties to the Convention

1. A Conference of the Parties to the Convention is hereby established
to improve the capacity of States Parties to combat transnational organized
crime and to promote and review the implementation of this Convention.
2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall convene the Conference of the Parties not
later than one year following the entry into force of
this Convention. The Conference of the Parties shall adopt rules of procedure
and rules governing the activities set forth in paragraphs 3 and 4 of this article
(including rules concerning payment of expenses incurred in carrying out those
activities).
3. The Conference of the Parties shall agree upon mechanisms for
achieving the objectives mentioned in paragraph 1 of this article, including:
(a) Facilitating activities by States Parties under articles 29, 30 and 31 of
this Convention, including by encouraging the mobilization of voluntary contributions;
(b) Facilitating the exchange of information among States Parties on
patterns and trends in transnational organized crime and on successful practices
for combating it;
(c) Cooperating with relevant international and regional organizations
and non-governmental organizations;
35
(d) Reviewing periodically the implementation of this Convention;
(e) Making recommendations to improve this Convention and its
implementation.
4. For the purpose of paragraphs 3 (d) and (e) of this article, the
Conference of the Parties shall acquire the necessary knowledge of the measures
taken by States Parties in implementing this Convention and the difficulties
encountered by them in doing so through information provided by them and
through such supplemental review mechanisms as may be established by the
Conference of the Parties.
5. Each State Party shall provide the Conference of the Parties with
information on its programmes, plans and practices, as well as legislative and
administrative measures to implement this Convention, as required by the
112
Conference of the Parties.
Figure 14
113
Figure 15
114
Figure 16
115
Figure 17
Figure 18
116
Figure 19
117
Figure 20
Figure 21
118
Figure 22
119
Figure 23
120
Figure 24
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1

The Influence of Transnational

May 10th, 2019

Summary of Research Methods …………………. 5

Role of Control …………………………. 30

International Organizations ……………….. 35

Case Studies …………………………… 39

Canadian Connection ………………………. 55

Logic of Evil …………………………… 59

Political Influence …………………….. 61

Media Influence …………………….. 66

Religious Influence …………………….. 67

Works Cited and Bibliography ………………….. 125 & 133

“Environmental degradation, overpopulation, refugees, narcotics, terrorism, world crime

Organized crime often results in or requires other crimes to be committed in order to

Summary of Research Methods

Organized crime is a broad term encompassing many offences committed by organized

According to Interpol, organized crime is difficult to define as “Definitions of what

It is unquestioned that organized crime is committed by organized crime groups, which

In the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, UN declares

(a) is composed of three or more persons in or outside

(b) has as one of its main purposes or main activities the

The various components that comprise this legal definition

As is evident, there is no concrete definition for organized crime, as it is simply crime,

Organized: The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines organized as “having a formal

Money Laundering: Interpol defines money laundering as “any act or attempted

have originated from legitimate sources.” 11

Human Trafficking: The United Nations defines human trafficking as “the

Arms Trafficking: The United Nations defined arms trafficking in the

Globalization: Globalization is the spread of products, technology, information,

Globalization has changed the face of organized crime, which is why it is

An issue of this magnitude cannot be stamped out overnight. The remainder of

Undoubtedly, organized crime has substantial impacts on a global scale. It affects

It is important to note that there is no single traceable root of transnational organized

Expert #1: David Carter, Ph.D

● Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy

Dr. Carter is an Academic Fellow of the Foundation for Defending Democracy, a

● Homicide Processing Mapping: Best Practices for Increasing Homicide

Expert #2: Antonio Nicaso

At Queen’s University, Nicaso teaches “The Social History of Organized Crime in

Expert #3: James Forest, Ph.D

● Superior Civilian Service Award (2010), Leadership - Department of the Army

Expert #4: Vesna Markovic, Ph.D

Prior to her teaching career, Markovic worked as a private investigator regarding

Expert #5: Philip Boyle Ph.D

Expert #6: Eric Olson

Eric Olson was spoken to via telephone on March 12th, 2019.

Expert #7: James Dubro

Today, Dubro contributes to magazines such as Canadian Business, Icon, Hamilton

How Experts are Utilized

opinions drove rich, extensive research on the topic.

● Why organised crime is a global issue

Dr Eric Carter, Ph.D: Figure 5

Mr Antonio Nicaso: Figure 6

Dr James Forest, Ph.D: Figure 7

Dr Vesna Markovic, Ph.D: Figure 8

Dr Philip Boyle, Ph.D: Figure 9

Mr Eric Olson: Figure 10

Mr James Dubro: Figure 11

Afghans believed almost universally that Interior Ministry officials, provincial

Transnational organized crime crosses borders, therefore international organizations are

The biggest international organization working to combat transnational organized crime

● Field-based technical cooperation projects to enhance the capacity of Member

Poverty & Equity Data Portal, povertydata.worldbank.org/poverty/region/MEA.