Some organized criminal groups are hierarchical with some kind of structure and leadership within the group, as has been found in some mafia groups. Organized criminal groups are organized in different ways. Figure 1.2 Types, activities and harms of organized crime These offences often involve intimidation, threats, or violence, causing economic harm, in addition to harm to the legitimacy of public institutions, and the misuse of public funds for criminal purposes. The harms that result from the infiltration of legitimate business or government are associated with corruption and extortion. There are also harms to health and to the victims of these crimes. The trafficking and provision of illicit goods and services create economic harm to the legitimate economy in supporting an underground, untaxed, illicit economy. There are also many harms created by organized crime, and some of these are not often visible. Violence can also occur when an organized criminal group attempts to monopolize an illicit market by threatening its criminal competitors. These exchanges are usually non-violent, but violence or threats occur when one party to the transaction feels cheated or short-changed. In providing illegal goods and service, it is most common that members of the public who are interested in these goods and services seek out the illicit opportunities. Because they also rely heavily on return business, they want the illicit transaction to go well in order to ensure future illicit sales and exchanges. Organized criminal groups who offer drugs, stolen property, or counterfeit goods rely on the existing demand among the public to make money. The provision of illicit goods and the provision of illicit services can be distinguished from the infiltration of legitimate business in their consensual nature and lack of inherent violence, although there are clear exceptions, such as in the case of trafficking in persons. More specifics on the offences that underlie the infiltration of business and government are provided in Module 4. There is a clear connection between corruption and the infiltration of business or government, because public officials are often willingly bribed or corrupted in these cases, or are coerced using intimidation or threats. These offences often entail threats to employers or employees that if money is not paid, there will be no job for the employees, or that violence, strikes, or vandalism will occur at the employer's companies. An example is labour intimidation, which involves the use of force or threats to obtain money for ensuring jobs or peace at construction sites. The third category of criminal activities is the infiltration of legitimate business or government. More specifics on the provision of illicit goods is provided in Module 3.
The stolen, counterfeit or falsified property might also consist of automobiles, jewellery, stereo equipment, mobile phones, software, or any other product for which there is a high consumer demand. Due to this demand, organized criminal groups emerge who produce, buy and sell stolen, counterfeit or falsified merchandise, i.e., stolen art and other cultural property, falsified medical products, illicitly manufactured/ traded firearms, illicit wildlife products and counterfeit food items. Many people wish to buy illegal products or legal ones at the lowest price possible, regardless of where the seller originally obtained them, or unaware that the products may not be safe. More details on the provision of illicit services is provided in Module 3.īesides illicit services, organized criminal groups also provide particular products that a segment of the public desires, but cannot obtain legally. Specific offences in this category include trafficking in persons, including for purposes of sexual exploitation, and smuggling of migrants. The provision of illicit services attempts to satisfy the public demand for, for instance, sexual and other forms of labour that is not permitted under law as well as procuring or facilitating the illegal entry or stay of a person in a country. Within each of these categories are offences that are more specific. The three categories include provision of illicit services, provision of illicit goods (both dealt with in greater detail in Module 3), and the infiltration of legitimate business or government (the focus of Module 4). These categories reflect the individual crimes that are most commonly associated with organized crime activity (Albanese, 2015).
Activities, organization and composition of organized criminal groups ActivitiesĮxamining the descriptions and definitions of organized crime in criminal codes and case studies, three primary categories of illegal behaviour emerge.