6 Human trafficking as a form of transnational crime

Abstract

Transnational organised crime has been escalating in recent decades as globalisation impacts more regions, resulting in a decline of nation states and border controls. In the 1960s, most of the growth of transnational crime was linked to the growth of the drug trade in such regions as Asia, Latin America, Africa and even Italy, home of the original Mafia. By the late 1990s, the illicit trade in drugs represented an equal share of the legitimate trade in textiles and steel (7.5 per cent of world trade) (UN International Drug Control Programme 1997: 124). Though the drug trade remains the most lucrative aspect of transnational crime, the last few decades have seen an enormous growth in organised human trafficking and smuggling. Many criminals have switched to this area of transnational crime because of the high profits and low risk. Others, not previously involved in transnational crime have entered this trade because of the low initial costs of entry and the large demand for smuggled and trafficked people.