Nigerian Organised Crime in South Africa

Abstract

The transition to democracy in South Africa not only ended the country's isolation from the rest of the world, but also opened it to an influx if international organised crime groups. There are few arrests and fewer successful prosecutions of Nigerians involved in organised crime. The type, nature and extent of Nigerian involvement in organised crime, and especially drug-related crime and fraudulent actions, are discussed, with an exposition of the typical modus operandi of advance fee fraud in South Africa given. The prevention and control of Nigerian involvement in organised crime in South Africa is considered. This exposition of organised crime in South Africa holds importance for the rest of the world, as the country is used as a through-route for the smuggling of drugs, and businessmen from countries in Europe and elsewhere are enticed to participate in an advance fee fraud scheme that offers lucrative profits. The transnational nature of Nigerian involvement in organised crime in South Africa needs to be recognised world-wide.