Global Crime Today

Crime is recognized as a constant factor within human society, but in the twenty-first century organized crime is emerging as one of the distinctive security threats of the new world order. The more complex, organized and interconnected society becomes, its crime becomes too. This book recognizes that the new century will be defined in part by a struggle between an ‘upperworld’, defined by increasingly open economic systems and democratic politics, and a transnational, entrepreneurial, dynamic and richly varied underworld, willing and able to use and distort these trends for its own ends. In order to understand this challenge, this book gathers together experts from a variety of fields to understand how organized crime is changing. From the Sicilian Mafia and the Japanese Yakuza, to the new challenges of Russian and East European gangs and the ‘virtual mafias’ of the cybercriminals, this book offers a clear and concise introduction to many of the key players moving in this global criminal underworld. This book is a special issue of Global Crime

A definitive resource for understanding such far-reaching and often interconnected crimes as cyber theft, drug trafficking, human smuggling, identity theft, wildlife poaching, and sex tourism. While many international corporations have benefited from the global economy and distribution of information, globalization has also had serious negative consequences. This important reference work offers students and general readers a critical understanding of how technology, governments, political unrest, war, and economic strife contribute to an increase in global crime. This A–Z encyclopedia covers key people, events, and organizations and includes key documents that will help readers to understand the numerous problems created by the many transnational crimes that are growing in severity and frequency around the world. Entries address perpetrators and their methods; victims; who really profits; and law enforcement responses. In addition to cyber theft and sales of weapons and narcotics, the set provides a detailed look at global crimes not typically covered, such as corruption, fraudulent medicine, illegal sports betting, organ trafficking, maritime piracy, trafficking in cultural property, and wildlife and forest crime. Although some historical events and people are included, the focus is on recent and contemporary topics.

This authoritative work examines key issues and debates on sex and labor trafficking, drawing on theoretical, empirical, and comparative material to inform the discussion of major trends and future directions. The text brings together key criminological and sociological literature on migration studies, gender, globalization, human rights, security, victimology, policing, and control to provide the most complete overview available on the subject.

This multidisciplinary collection of essays by leading international scholars explores many pressing issues related to global crime. The book opens with essays that look across this diverse terrain and then moves on to consider specific areas including organised crime, cyber-crime, war-crimes, terrorism, state and private violence, riots and political protest, prisons, sport and crime and counterfeit goods. The book emphasises the centrality of crime to the contemporary global world and mobilises diverse disciplinary positions to help understand and address this.

Transnational organized crime interferes with the everyday lives of more and more people - and represents a serious threat to democracy. By now, organized crime has become an inherent feature of economic globalization, and the fine line between the legal and illegal operation of business networks is blurred. Additionally, few experts could claim to have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the laws and regulations governing the international flow of trade, and hence of the borderline towards criminal transactions. This book offers contributions from 12 countries around the world authored by 25 experts from a wide range of academic disciplines, representatives from civil society organizations and private industry, journalists, as well as activists. Recognizing the complexity of the issue, this publication provides a cross cultural and multi-disciplinary analysis of transnational organized crime including a historical approach from different regional and cultural contexts.

This book offers a comprehensive, multidimensional look into the major activities, groups, causes, and policing strategies related to global organized crime. Global Organized Crime: A Reference Handbook examines global organized crime dating back to its 17th-century roots. Unlike most works on the subject, which take a parochial approach by concentrating on individual countries or regions, this book uniquely details the impact of 21st-century globalization on such groups and their activities. Exploring the continuum of international organized crime and related developments from its early beginnings to the present era, the book also looks at the complicated issues that continue to influence its growth. It covers the impact of the end of the Cold War, immigration, the global drug trade, weapons sales, human smuggling and trafficking, the convergence of funding sources, and the effects of technology. What especially distinguishes this book is the connections it makes between organized crime activities and failed states, civil wars, political transitions, regional conflicts, and terrorist groups.

10 Human Rights and International Crime Control -- The Idea of Human Rights -- Human Rights Violations -- International Law and State Sovereignty -- Transnational and International Crime Control -- International Law Enforcement Organizations -- Interpol -- Europol -- U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime -- World Customs Organization -- Jurisdiction -- Martial Law and Military Intervention -- 11 Privatization and Global Justice -- Privatization of Police -- Privatization of the Courts -- Privatization of Corrections -- Private Prisons -- Private Probation -- Private Immigration Detention -- Privatization Concerns in the Global Arena -- 12 The Future of Global Crime -- Globalization and the Future of Crime -- Violent Crime Then and Now -- Culture and Crime -- Balancing Privacy and Security -- Future Questions -- Index