Organized Crime Research Articles

Борьба Терской рабоче-крестьянской милиции с бандитизмом в 1920-е гг. (на материалах Моздокского района РСО–Алания и Ставропольского края)

The relevance of the study is due to the need to study and borrow positive experience of the police, as well as the weak scientific development of the topic. The article, based on archival documents, reveals the main prerequisites and factors, as well as the methods of struggle of the Soviet police in the 1920s. in Stavropol and Terek with banditry. The practical innovativeness of the research was expressed in the possibility of using its results in the reconstruction of the organs of internal affairs history, as well as regional history in the 1920s. The methodological potential of the study is revealed in the possibility of using its material at the level of educational institutions, when conducting classes in the history of Russia, in regional history. The scientific novelty consisted in the creation, based on archival materials, of the Soviet workers’ and peasants’ militia in the early 1920s, as well as the main aspects of its activities, taking into account the specifics of the North Caucasus region in the first steps of Soviet power. The results of the study indicate that the Soviet workers’ and peasants’ militia initially emerged as a body of political power. From its creation in 1917 until the end of the 1920s. Soviet policemen fought against banditry, which meant both political groups - individual parts of the White Guard, and criminal elements, which flourished in the North Caucasus region during the NEP period. The organized fight against banditry was hampered by both staffing deficiencies and the rise of organized crime towards the end of the decade due to political and social changes in the country.

A Bargaining Theory of Criminal War

Abstract Criminal war is a leading cause of death around the world. We argue for the inclusion of this topic in security studies and adapt a bargaining framework to shed light on why criminal groups fight or agree to peace. We propose that shocks to relative coercive capacity cause criminal war. This escalation in violent conflict proves more likely when criminal groups face greater difficulty negotiating: when they are more factionalized, less rooted in their territory, and in strategic rivalry with a greater number of rivals. Our empirical strategy leverages a critical, policy-relevant shock to access to weapons following an arms control repeal, and novel city block-level, monthly data on criminal organization traits, turf, and violence over ten years to understand how changes in coercive inputs upset the existing balance of power among criminal groups and shaped patterns of war and truce.

The Latest Quantum and Medical, Quantum and Pharmaceutical Technologies in Countering the Criminal and Legal, Forensic and Pharmaceutical Risks of Circulation of Falsified Drugs

Healthcare institutions manage the distribution of essential medications within the legal framework involving doctors, patients, and pharmacists. The criminal laws of Ukraine hold individuals accountable for distributing counterfeit medicinal products. However, members of criminal organizations often evade prosecution. There is a promising future in integrating quantum medicine, including quantum physics and quantum pharmacy, into forensic pharmaceutical, forensic medical, forensic narcological, and forensic criminalistic research. This advancement could significantly enhance our ability to combat the negative consequences associated with the circulation of falsified drugs. The incorporation of quantum medical and pharmaceutical technologies is anticipated to revolutionize forensic practices. These technologies could provide new methods for detecting and preventing the distribution of counterfeit drugs, thereby protecting public health. Additionally, they may offer innovative solutions for addressing the legal and criminal implications of these activities. As quantum medicine progresses, it will likely play a crucial role in strengthening the integrity of healthcare systems and ensuring the safe distribution of medications. The potential of these technologies in forensic and pharmaceutical fields represents a significant step forward in the fight against drug falsification.

Complete Prohibition as a Method of Legal Regulation of Confidential Cooperation of Lawyers with Intelligence Bodies, and Intelligence Operations Privileges

Russian legislation that regulates legal relations of confidential cooperation of lawyers with intelligence bodies is characterized by inconsistencies that can be overcome optimally within the framework of law-making activities. The conducted analysis makes it possible to conclude that the most acceptable way of legal regulation of the relations in question is the ban on the establishment of legal relations of confidential cooperation. It is due to the specifics of advocacy and the special status of the legal privilege as an institution of civil society that performs significant functions in protecting the rights and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities. At the same time, the author believes it is permissible to make an exception as to legal privileges of intelligence character by recognizing the establishment of legal relations of confidential cooperation between the relevant entities when competent authorities are in need of the assistance of persons of the specified category involved in any form in the activities of criminal groups, organizations or communities provided that such confidential cooperation is used to suppress the functioning of these destructive associations.

Rethinking counterfeit medical supply chains: A critical review of the current literature.

The medical device and pharmaceutical industries include a range of drugs, machines, instruments, and apparatuses used to prevent, diagnose, treat disease and illness, or aid in rehabilitation for patients, and are expected to grow substantially in the coming years. However, they are often targets of criminal organizations who manufacture and profit from fraudulent products, infiltrating the market with counterfeit medical supply chains. In this paper, we discuss and analyze the extent and nature of this problem and make suggestions for mitigation and prevention of this worldwide challenge. Ultimately, we argue that a holistic approach is essential to addressing this problem, including the creation and dissemination of reliable and good quality data, developing healthcare systems to be more robust, establishing/enhancing intra- and international cooperation around this issue, and employing effective technological solutions, such as digital tracing.

Criminality With Real Estate in Kosovo

Criminality with real estates can be expressed in different forms, such as through: "money laundering", corruption, fraud, usurpation of immovable properties, falsification of ownership documentation, which is of particular importance in the field of immovable property turnover, etc. In Kosovo, the "dark number" and the "gray number" are present at a high level of organized crime in the field of real estate turnover and despite the preventive and repressive measures that have been undertaken in Kosovo, focusing on strengthening the institutions of justice system (prosecutor, police, judiciary, financial intelligence services, etc.), in order to prevent and fight this type of criminality, the success achieved in this aspect is still insufficient. For this reason, public confidence is weak regarding the results achieved in the fight against organized crime in the field of real estate turnover in Kosovo.

Motif Perilaku Begal Sepeda Motor Di Kota Bekasi

The motives for motorbike robbery behavior in Bekasi have become a significant concern in recent years. The research results show that economic, social and cultural factors have an important role in influencing motorbike theft. This research shows that motorbike theft in Bekasi occurs more often in areas with high levels of poverty and low levels of education. The method in this research uses the literature study method. Apart from that, research also reveals that motorbike theft in Bekasi is mostly carried out by individuals who have criminal records and are involved in criminal organizations. Based on the research results, the government and society should make efforts to increase public awareness of the importance of protecting motorbikes and improving people's quality of life. to reduce motorbike theft in Bekasi

Organizational and legal basis of fighting organized crime in Ukraine: problems of legislative regulation

The article presents the results of the analysis of the state of Ukrainian legislation in the field of combating organized crime. Based on the results of the research, once again, it was established that Ukraine lacks a systematic approach to combating organized crime (inadequate level of cooperation of law enforcement agencies in the relevant field, outdated and unbalanced regulatory and legal provisions on combating organized crime, imperfection of the monitoring procedure criminogenic situation, the lack of a consolidated objective methodology for assessing the threats of organized crime, the use of outdated forms and methods of combating it, not using the full potential of the Interdepartmental Research Center for the Fight against Organized Crime), which leads to the aggravation of problems related to organized crime, and the low level of effectiveness in combating it, which makes it necessary to consider the issue of creating special bodies to combat organized crime. Once again, attention was drawn to the need to divide the fight against organized crime into strategic and tactical levels. It was found that conceptual problems related to the imperfect provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On the Organizational and Legal Basis of Combating Organized Crime” remain unresolved, which do not provide effective tools for law enforcement agencies to combat organized crime.

Successful use of the forced choice test for detecting concealment of semantic memory in criminal and intelligence investigations.

The current study examined the validity of the forced choice test (FCT) in a forensic scenario when used to detect concealment of semantic memory (SM-FCT). We also compared the SM-FCT validity to the FCT validity in the more commonly investigated episodic memory scenario (EM-FCT). In simulating a scenario of investigating suspected members of a terror organization, 277 students were asked to deceptively deny being enrolled in a college in which they do actually study. Results indicated that the SM-FCT's validity level was within the range of the EM-FCTs' validity levels. Theoretically, the results support a cognitive-based explanation for the FCT operation mechanism. Practically, they imply that FCT can be used in criminal or intelligence investigations of suspected members of terrorist or criminal organizations or suspected perpetrators of illegal acts or acts of terrorism, in which the incriminating evidence being sought is in the realm of designated semantic memory or knowledge.

Fuelling Organised Crime: the Mexican War on Drugs and Oil Theft

Abstract We show that the Mexican war on drugs pushed drug cartels into large-scale oil theft. We propose a simple model in which government crackdowns on one criminal sector induce criminal organisations to invest in a new sector. When entering the new sector, challenger organisations with a residual share of the market in the traditional sector may leapfrog incumbent organisations. We bring the model to the data using detailed information on drug cartel presence, oil pipelines and illegal oil taps across Mexican municipalities. In line with the model predictions, municipalities with oil pipelines witnessed a greater increase in cartel presence than municipalities without pipelines after the crackdown on drugs, and the effect is driven by challenger criminal groups. Within the subset of municipalities with oil pipelines, we observe more illegal oil taps where the political party in favour of anti-drug trafficking policy won local elections by a small margin. Because of specialisation in different criminal sectors, municipalities with pipelines did not witness a surge in violence, but they did experience a decline in socioeconomic conditions.

The risk and protective factors for entering organized crime groups and their association with different entering mechanisms: A systematic review using ASReview

The aims of the current systematic review are to provide an overview of the available evidence concerning the risk and protective factors for entering organized crime groups (OCGs), to explore which entry mechanisms for entering OCGs are distinguished in the literature, and to assess whether different sets of risk and protective factors could be identified for each of these entry mechanisms. To achieve these aims, a systematic literature search for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies was performed up to 19 April 2021. To be included in the current review, studies had to be of empirical nature and published in either English or Dutch. ASReview was used to facilitate the inclusion process, a reference check of the included studies was performed, and all included studies in prior reviews on this topic were checked for inclusion. This process resulted in 51 included studies. Relevant study and sample characteristics, information on risk and protective factors, and indicated entry mechanisms were derived from the included studies. In line with earlier reviews, we find relatively strong evidence that being male, belonging to an ethnic minority group, committing certain crimes prior to entry at a young(er) age, committing multiple offenses without being specialized, and having a criminally involved family and/or friends are risk factors for entering OCGs. Entering OCGs occurs via four different entry mechanisms: active recruitment, soliciting for membership, growing into and self-setup. Based on the included studies, the risk and protective factors for entering OCGs that are associated with these different entry mechanisms into OCGs seem to overlap. Although the current review provides grounds to suggest that, in addition to a general set of risk and protective factors for entering OCGs, there might be different risk and protective factors associated with different entry mechanisms, longitudinal prospective studies are needed to substantiate this suggestion.

Shared Sovereignties and Criminal Governances in the Context of the Pandemic in Colombia

AbstractThe Covid-19 pandemic led to a process of social isolation, but this does not appear to have applied to criminal organisations in Colombia. On the contrary, they had opportunities to strengthen and demonstrate capacities to coexist with the state. So, how were shared sovereignties and criminal governances configured during Covid-19 in Colombia? Through an ethnography of digital narratives and the construction of a model of governance types, we found that the political model of shared sovereignty and criminal governance was strengthened in the context of the pandemic, allowing legal and illegal actors to accept a mutually beneficial –but painful– draw, to control their areas of social influence and territorial control.

Cannabis Legalization and its Effects on Organized Crime: Lessons and Research Recommendations from Canada

In October 2018, Canada legalized and regulated its entire recreational cannabis supply chain via the Cannabis Act. One of the objectives of this new policy was to take revenue away from organized crime groups. Five years after the Cannabis Act went into effect, we address the following question: what do we know about the impacts of cannabis regulation on organized crime? A review of the gray and academic literature revealed that there is little and inconclusive research on the matter, as well as a lack of diverse and relevant data sources from which to draw conclusions. Using Canadian and international literature, we developed recommendations for indicators that could be used to assess such impacts. These indicators could be particularly useful for policymakers and researchers in countries that have yet to regulate cannabis to allow for pre‐ and post‐legalization comparisons.

The new ways of “sieging” by organized crime in Rio

A categoria “cerco” foi proposta por Machado da Silva e Leite (2007) como uma forma de descrever o sentimento de submissão a uma força coercitiva e violenta que produz constantes preocupação e receio de manifestações violentas, com frequência imprevisíveis, que impedem a circulação e o exercício das rotinas locais. Passados quase 20 anos dessa publicação, o Rio de Janeiro descrito pelos autores sofreu grandes transformações nas suas relações entre crime, Estado e moradores de favelas e periferias. A partir de uma análise comparativa de seis localidades, nosso objetivo foi identificar e descrever práticas de atuação de grupos armados nos territórios e os efeitos sobre os moradores dessas localidades. Dessa forma, identificamos como as novas modalidades de “cerco”, notadamente o “cerco pelo terror” e o “cerco panóptico”, implicam novos constrangimentos, riscos, dificuldades, incertezas, e novos tipos de resistência.

KEPASTIAN HUKUM PENERAPAN JUSTICE COLLABORATOR TERHADAP PELAKU TINDAK PIDANA NARKOTIKA.

The idea of a Justice Collaborator is based on Article 37 paragraph (2) of the 2003 United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) which states that the state is obliged to consider reducing the sentence of perpetrators who provide substantial cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of a specified crime. As of 2023, UNCAC has 190 member countries which have proven that the article regarding Justice Collaborator is an effective way to eradicate organized crime such as narcotics. The Research method is a normative juridical research, to obtain the necessary data in connection to the period issue. The data used is secondary data in consisting of primary legal materials. Besides, it used primary data to support secondary data legal materials. Data analysis was done by qualitative juridical analysis. The result of research is obtained that From the research results, it can be seen that Justice Collaborator is a form of symbiotic mutualism or mutually beneficial cooperation between Witnesses and Perpetrators of law enforcement officers where each of them gets benefits related to the disclosure of narcotics crime cases. The legal basis for Justice Collaborator began with the publication of SEMA No. 4 of 2011, Joint Regulations, to Law no. 31 of 2014. In the PSK Law, the position of Justice Collaborator is regulated as equal to Witness, Victim and Whistleblower and their rights are guaranteed by law, but in practice there are still many perpetrator witnesses who do not get leniency because in the trial the judge does not consider the testimony of the perpetrator witness to meet the requirements. as Justice Collaborator. Even though the legal basis already exists, because in the Indonesian judicial system the decision maker is the judge, the recommendation of the prosecutor or LPSK does not necessarily lighten the sentence of the perpetrator witness

La conclusión de la investigación preparatoria a propósito de la constitución en actor civil en los procesos de crimen organizado

La conclusión de la investigación preparatoria a propósito de la constitución en actor civil en los procesos de crimen organizado

Artificial Intelligence – a Double-Edged Sword. Organized Crime`s AI vs Law Enforcement`s AI

Abstract Organized crime has acquired new values in the context of the geopolitical, social and economic transformations that the states are currently facing, expanding their ramifications at the international level. Conflicts often create opportunities that lead to the increasing of the organized crime, amplifying the threat that criminal groups can pose to domestic security. The heightened dynamics of the international security environment and, in particular, the instability with the potential for contagion manifested in the Eastern neighborhood and in the Middle East, potentiates the risks posed by organized crime. With the increase in technological development, especially based on Artificial Intelligence, organized crime has become one of the world’s most pressing issues, with a large number of countries having been affected. This research deals with the role of digital technologies implemented through cyberspace in prevention, detecting and combating organized crime. In addition, the research found that the rate of illegal activity has increased due to the global accessibility that the Internet has provided, especially AI, posing great risks to the public and increasing the rate of organised crimes. Combating organized crime has become an important political priority for many governments around the world, and any future success in eliminating criminal groups in its various forms will depend on the extent to which governments and relevant organizations are prepared to develop digital technologies based on artificial intelligence and use them to combat and prevent illegal activity.

An exploration of the factors that contribute to involvement in serious organised crime: A rapid evidence assessment

This Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) explores the factors related to involvement in and desistance from Serious Organised Crime (SOC). There is a need for evidence-based practice to underpin the work and products being developed for the management and rehabilitation of individuals involved (or at risk of being involved) in SOC. The current review sought to increase understanding of the factors associated with organised crime involvement. The REA reflected the wide variety of factors cited in the literature, highlighting a combination of an individuals’ personal background and skills, and the social relationships they develop in different settings of their lives. The challenges when considering the management and rehabilitation of this population have also been highlighted. The findings of this review can inform future research and the shaping of future policies and interventions. The findings could also be used to inform the development of SOC specific interventions, which will target the needs of this population.

The Linguistic Legacy of Organized Crime in the 1990s in Post-Communist Countries

After the fall of communist regimes, post-communist societies experienced a period of intense political change. New political parties and structures emerged that created both new programs and concepts as well as terminology. The vocabulary of any language is dynamic and constantly evolving in line with changes in society. As for the language of the 1990s in post-communist societies, we can point out that the language is a mirror of the life around us and its economic, political and social upheavals. The new realities are reflected in the lexical system of the language with a special evaluation embedded in the semantics or connotation of the described vocabulary. Those words are actually key concepts of the "new life" and everyday life of the transition and can become guidelines in the study of this modern period. The text presents part of the language corpus created by us of the words from the 1990s. The object of our research are the lexemes related to organized crime. Vocabulary related to that semantic field contains a large amount of expressiveness or change in the original semantics.

Penal Response to Less Serious Drug Distribution Offenses: The Case of Lithuania in the Regional Context

Abstract Drug distribution is considered one of the most serious crimes in general and the most serious drug offense in particular. Drug distribution may cover behavior of very different levels of seriousness, ranging from the social supply of small quantities of illicit drugs in friend circles to international drug trafficking organized by powerful global crime syndicates. The article explores the criminological contexts of less serious drug distribution and penal frameworks of the relevant countries in the Baltic region. The article argues for a more nuanced penal approach to such offenses in the Lithuanian penal law.