The Growth and Activities of Organised Crime in Bombay

Abstract

The port of Bombay (Mumbai) gained prominence by smuggling opium to China since the 1790s. Currently, it is both the financial capital and the nerve centre of organised crime groups (OCGs) of India. The structure of OCGs evolved by changing their form to meet the exigencies of different periods in the post‐independence period. OCGs are run on the principle of profit. They change their articles of trade according to avenues opened up by government policies. Geopolitical changes among neighbouring countries created an atmosphere favourable to trade in narcotics. Their strength has enabled them to enter institutions of governance. Lenient penalties imposed on white‐collar crimes have given them opportunities to act as agents in a number of areas, enlarging the base of their earnings well beyond “street taxes”. Globalisation has widened the scope of their operations and increased opportunities for money laundering. Some of them are “new age international businessmen”. Their networking is on both national and international levels and hence the feeble efforts on the part of the government to control OCG activities has limited impact. This paper, based on primary and secondary data, describes the growth and activities of a few groups and provides some policy suggestions.