Transnational Organized Crime

Abstract

Transnational organized crime (TOC) is a diverse and complicated arena, costing global society in excess of US$3 trillion annually — a figure that continues to grow (Borger, 2007). This chapter reviews the current literature which demonstrates that globalization has resulted in an increasing growth and sophistication of crime groups as they take advantage of disappearing borders and greater profit markets. It considers the various TOC organizational structures that exist and the legislative responses to this global threat by four English-speaking Commonwealth countries: Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. It identifies that whilst crime groups are vulnerable to detection and disruption because of their need to communicate, law enforcement agencies need a method and framework that allows them to capitalize on this vulnerability to combat these crimes efficiently and successfully.