Criminal World Research Articles

Organized Crime in Albania: A Path Dependence Perspective

Albanian organized crime has gained attention from the media and academia due to its significant role in international criminal world. Many studies have showcased Albanian criminal groups’ main characteristics and what makes them stand out. Nevertheless, such studies lack a theoretical application that binds the findings and provides an extensive panorama of Albanian organized crime development. Implying that the formation of Albanian organized crime is not a coincidence but rather an ongoing process, this study refers to path dependence theory to explain such an occurrence. Traditionally, the study of path dependence has focused on explaining how standards or rules become reinforced and determinant in a set environment by passing through three sequential stages. Consequently, the study uses a three-phase model to analyze Albanian organized crime from its inception to its latest stage.

Technical terrorism - informational The privacy of employment ... and the structural penetration of society

he purpose of this research is to study the impact of the data of the massive and modern information technology revolution in all its diversity and forms on the significant spread of the phenomenon of terrorism and the aggravation of the depth of its impact. These data have resulted in new concepts in the world such as the techno-information terrorism as a new cross-border security threat to societies and countries which is based on the use of modern technologies to launch terrorist attacks with the aim of spreading fear and terror. This massive revolution brought about by these technologies resulted in the emergence of a new criminal world whose danger lies in its effect on the structure and complexity of society its complexity, its increasing danger and its prevalence either in terms of ease of using technology and facilitating communication among terrorist groups to coordinate their operations, or in the way of persuading and inventing advanced terrorist methods. The attacks were not limited only to the political, security and economic aspects, but they also affected the social and cultural aspects by destroying infrastructure sites such as hospitals, power plants, water, gas, as well as spreading the culture of religious extremism among young people, obliterating their identity and attracting them to join terrorist organizations which threaten the entire social security, and here lies the danger.

Crime in Era of Digital Technology: What Can Change with Cryptocurrency Status Clarification for Development of Information Environment of Vietnam?

The present paper analyses the aspects of investigations of crime involving cryptocurrencies as a payment instrument. Ever since their emergence, cryptocurrencies have come to be actively used by criminals in all types of illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal arms trade, payments for criminal services and many other crimes. The paper aims to establish the methods of crime investigation to track data on cryptocurrency transactions and identify and show up the participants of illegal operations. The author shows that the development of computer and digital information technologies and the Internet has brought about the ever-increasing prevalence of cryptocurrencies in all social domains, including the shadow sector, i. e., the criminal world. Figures are provided illustrating the overall circulation of cryptocurrencies in the world and its illegal segment. Explaining the attractiveness of cryptocurrencies for criminal structures, the author points at its anonymity and inadequate regulation of various aspects in laws. An analysis is provided of the practice of countries where cryptocurrency circulation is not only permitted but regulated to a maximum possible extent. The impact of such regulation for the state of the shadow cryptocurrency market is shown. The research further concerns the potential for bringing international expertise to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Potential methods of crime investigation concerning shadow cryptocurrency transactions are outlined, helping to identify and show up the participants involved. Forecasts are provided as to the development of modern forensics and the emergence of new forensic methods helping to uncover cryptocurrency-related crime; proposals are drawn for amending criminal and criminal procedure laws to facilitate investigations in the new context.

Native son Japarov: The embodiment of injustice?

Sadyr Japarov, the current President of Kyrgyzstan, came to power in what became known as the 2020 revolution, the third revolution in the country's history after the 2005 First Kyrgyz (or Tulip) Revolution and the 2010 Second Kyrgyz Revolution. He criticized earlier political leaders for their corruption, nepotism and links to criminality, instead promising justice and care for his people. However, many now accuse him of undermining democracy by bribery, reinforcing authoritarian rule and setting up connections to the criminal world. The author draws on research on politics and patronage in Kyrgyzstan over the last ten years. Although Japarov is a former convict engaged in nepotistic activities in contemporary Kyrgyzstani politics, many support him as their ‘native son’ – until, as with previous presidents, they no longer do so.

The incorporation of women’s empowerment principles (WEPs) as criteria for granting the national social responsibility seal for prison work (RESCUE)

Gender discrimination against women in the labor market remains a global scourge. This situation is even more aggravated in the case of women prisoners or ex-prisoners, who suffer not only from gender bias, but from their involvement with the criminal world. In this context, the present work aimed to propose the incorporation of the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) proposed by the United Nations (UN), as a new criterion for the granting of the National Seal of Social Responsibility for Prison Work (RESCUE). The RESCUE, created in 2017 by the National Penitentiary Department (DEPEN), of the Brazilian State, has the purpose of recognizing the initiatives of public and private institutions that hire people deprived of their liberty or those released from the national prison system. For this purpose, bibliographic and documentary research was carried out on Brazilian doctrine and legislation, as well as on UN documents. It was concluded that there is a need and urgency for the Brazilian State to improve the mechanisms for the inclusion of women in the labor market, especially in the case of those prisoners or those who are discharged from the penitentiary system, being RESCUE an important initiative that can be significantly improved by including WEPs, as one of the criteria for its award.

The educational environment of a departmental university as a means of cadet’s personality formation

The paper substantiates the importance of educating personal qualities of an employee of the penal system (PS) that meet universal and professional moral standards and outlines the role of a departmental university in educating a cadets personality. It is argued that the educational environment of a departmental university is one of the central means of shaping and developing a cadets personality a prospective PS employee as a person and a professional. The analysis of the concept environment in the context of different levels of education (school, university) is carried out. The paper summarizes scientific ideas about the educational environment of the departmental university, which is a set of circumstances, conditions specific to the departmental higher education institution, which affect the cadet, contributing to the formation of his personality as a prospective specialist. The list of organizational and pedagogical conditions for development of the educational environment of a departmental higher educational institution in relation to the educational environment of higher educational institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia is supplemented filling the educational environment with values that, penetrating into the value sphere of cadets consciousness and becoming its integral part, create a value barrier that cannot be overcome by the anti-values of the criminal world. Approaches to formation, development, formation of the educational environment of a departmental university are indicated: molecular, factorial, synergetic, competence, culturological, axiological, ethnopedagogical, individually creative, dialogical, which are complemented by an environmental approach. The importance of the environmental approach in organizing the educational environment of a departmental university is substantiated. The content of the basic concepts of the environmental approach is revealed: niche; element; lifestyle; personality as an object and a subject of education; environment-forming action. The specificity of the implementation of the environmental approach to the organization of the educational environment of the departmental higher educational institution of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia is revealed.

The main trends of cybercrime in the quarantine period and counteraction to it

The article analyzes the latest trends in cybercrime during the introduction and implementation of quarantine measures in connection with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world and the consequences of this type of crime. Such trends include: a significant increase in the number of cybercrimes in the world and in Ukraine; «exploitation» by criminals of people's concerns about the situation with the coronary crisis and its negative consequences, as a result of which the whole array of these crimes somehow correlates with the pandemic; expanding the objects of cyberattacks and shifting the emphasis on how to «more effectively» interfere in the work of information and communication devices; the emergence of the so-called pandemic offender; creating a serious threat from cybercriminals to the health sector, etc. The whole array of cybercrimes is divided into offenses, in the «scenario» of which the coronavirus theme is decisive, and «traditional» cybercrimes, the committing of which is not directly conditioned by this event, although the number of such crimes (increasing) correlates with special pandemic conditions. The article presents the reasons that led to the emergence of a new phenomenon in the criminal world – a pandemic criminal, whose illegal behavior is manifested primarily in the information space. The danger of cybercrime for the lens of critical infrastructure is emphasized, with special emphasis on medical facilities. The conceptual idea of ​​counteracting cybercrime is revealed, which consists in changing the strategy of counteracting cyber threats from «traditional» offensive to defensive, in which the priority should be given to the protection of information from possible threats. This is due to many factors, including the modern format of communication, the nature of production processes and business, blurring the boundaries between corporate and personal information and communication devices, the dependence of information security on the human factor, the need to find additional sources for information security. The content of the defense strategy of counteraction will determine the strategic directions of this counteraction. The main directions of the defense strategy are: 1) development and implementation of information security policy as individual subjects of the information space, and society, the state as a whole; 2) information education on topics that are most often exploited by criminals during epidemics, pandemics and other natural and social cataclysms, and specific information security measures; 3) development of the market of information security outsourcing services; 4) formation of skills of observance of information hygiene of ordinary citizens in cyberspace; 5) constant monitoring and research of problems of digitalization of society; etc.

Problems of Studying Pictographic Criminal Writing by Linguistic Experts

The article describes tattoos which are a relatively unknown pictographic criminal writing, understudied by linguists. The author analyzes the difficulties of collecting material, as well as the problems of carrying out linguistic expertise. At present linguistic analysis on tattoos of code-bound criminals are extremely relevant in the process of collecting evidence for the state to get control of the elite of the criminal world. The article describes the expertise situations in which the linguist-expert has been involved, provides typical examples that have both practical and theoretical significance for the study of these polymodal semiotic complexes.

Social Environment and Crime in Dickens' Oliver Twist and Great Expectations

This study reads Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist and Great Expectations as crime novels by applying Sutherland's theory of "differential association" which postulates that criminal behavior is learned rather than inherited, and it is learned through interaction with other people within intimate personal groups in which one learns techniques and acquires motives for committing crimes. In Oliver Twist, Oliver is portrayed as a victim of the corrupted social environment as well as Monks' conspiracy with Fagin to drag him down to the underworld.; he is raised as an orphan in a workhouse and subjected to mistreatment. Thus, he unknowingly indulges in Fagin's gang and learns the crime of pickpocketing, as all the members of the gang come from a poor background and are taught how to commit crimes within the gang, their intimate social group. Nancy's poverty also compels her to join the gang, which ultimately leads to her death, as criminality is not innate in her personality. Criminality in Oliver's character is not innate either, so he ends up leading a decent life in a healthier environment. Like Fagin, Compeyson in Great Expectations favors the violation of law and has others indulge in the criminal world, thereby exploiting Magwitch and Orlick who turn into criminals. By presenting criminal characters with various motives and from harsh backgrounds, Dickens' fiction suggests that crime behavior has nothing to do with heredity. Rather, criminal characters are implicated in crimes as a result of the corrupted social environment forced on them, along with gangs and corrupt people they have to encounter.

PROBLEMS OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IN KAZAKHSTAN

The proposed scientific article analyzes the concept of deviant behavior, its types and common characteristics in modern society, as well as its social, biological and psychological factors. In addition, an overview of the ways of deviant behavior in the country is given, the types of deviant behavior are described. Problems that are considered normal in some societies and are not considered deviant behavior are analyzed. It is also recommended to consider measures to prevent deviant behavior that is harmful to society. The article also points out that deviant behavior is not age appropriate. The analysis of various factors that contribute to the criminal world is made. The difference in the nature and types of crimes is shown. At the same time, the article notes that there are other issues related to the relevance of the problem of deviant behavior in our country today.

Interrogating Colonialism: The Native Police Officer and His Case Files

The Indian police officers employed under the British Government during the colonial period experienced first-hand interactions with both the natives and the English simultaneously, among whom were included people belonging to different parts and positions of the society, such as ordinary citizens, criminals and government officials. The native police were placed in a peculiar position. As policemen they were compelled to work as agents of the colonial government while possessing, at the same time, an anti-colonial sentiment in mind, at least some of them, if not all. Priyanath Mukhopadhyay was one such native officer who worked for thirty three years in Calcutta Detective Police. His semi-autobiographical Darogar Daptar makes us acquainted with the criminal world of the fien-di-siecle Calcutta (presently Kolkata). The accounts throw light on a period when the Indians, and more specifically the Bengalis, not really unsupported by the native officers, were slowly uniting against the various forms of injustice brought upon them by the British colonial rulers. This article intends to explore the strong anti-colonial sentiments expressed in the tales of Darogar Daptar and also to establish thereby how postcolonial elements are available in literary texts written long before the very term ‘postcolonialism’ came into vogue.

OIL LAW AND CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS IN "SKHIDNYTSIA CALIFORNIA"

Summary. The purpose of the article – is to study the most secret criminal environment of "Skhidnytsia California" – one of the most remote centres of oil extraction attracting the attention of hundreds of well-known financial swindlers in the Habsburg Empire as well as organized criminal groups. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, systematics, objectivity as well as methods of historiographical analysis and synthesis. The scientific novelty of the article is an attempt to research criminal offenses that took place in the Skhidnytsia area. Conclusions. The analyzed problem has attracted scientific interest. The historians tried to show that in the XIX – early XX centuries oil became the subject of blatant controversy in society, the cause of global crises, numerous wars, international exile, instant wealth and a source of profit for the criminal world, which managed to organize an effective web of grey economy around the oil business less associated with the indigenous population of the province. The authors show that organized criminal groups appeared in the vicinity of Skhidnytsia in the early twentieth century and they were engaged exclusively in robbery of the local population, robbery of oil rigs, branches of savings banks, etc. In particular, many thefts were directly related to oilfield equipment, which was very expensive and sold in Skhidnytsia specialty stores. Many facts have been found which indicate to the existence of unwritten customary law among "industrial gangs" mainly based on the principle of silence and blood revenge. The authors raced that increased of brine production, shadow capital accumulation, clandestine transit, money laundering, fire losses, employee irresponsibility, unpaid wages and hundreds of other precedents were the source of litigation, which in turn were a living field for the fashionable legal business, which against the background of the oil industry, and even more so the rigid tax system was increasingly adapted to industrial conditions of "Skhidnytsia California".

ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТЬ УЧАСТКОВЫХ ИНСПЕКТОРОВ МИЛИЦИИ В ТЮМЕНСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ (60-70-е ГОДЫ XX ВЕКА)

District commissioners of Tyumen police (in the 1960-1970s) were entrusted with numerous duties to combat the criminal element, maintain public order in the assigned territory, provide comprehensive assistance to the criminal investigation department and other services, prevent the illegal sale of alcohol, provide preventative work among the population (especially young people who are prone to hooligan antics), obtain valuable operational information from their sources, monitor representatives of the criminal world, comply with the passport regime, and store firearms, isolation of the marginal population.

Milo Djukanović - droga na szczyt

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This article is the first in a series describing the years of youth and the rise to power of a key Montenegrin politician – Milo Djukanovic. The aim of this article is to trace the influence of various external factors on his political decisions and actions. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The years of youth and the environment in which the politician grew up had a huge impact on the direction he adopted. Brought up under the watchful eye of his father – a judge and member of the Communist Alliance of Montenegro, he was interested in politics from an early age. He quickly climbed the career ladder. Enthusiasm, accurate observations, and accurate statements made him noticed by Slobodan Milosevic. The article poses questions about the Djukanovic phenomenon. What is the mastery of his political tactics? THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: Following the fate and political career of Djukanovic, it is difficult not to pay attention to the politician’s attitude. The fact that he had a strong family support, grew up in an environment with revolutionary views, had the audacity to dream, gave him the strength to fight for Montenegro’s independence. Loved by crowds, but also hated by them. Accused of corruption, links with the criminal world, a master of political tactics, but also its silent hostage. RESEARCH RESULTS: Milo Djukanovic is second to none. His dizzying career and popularity elevated him to the pinnacle of politics, enabling him to establish numerous friendships and getting involved with the most prominent personalities. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: In a small country like Montenegro, there is a thin line that separates what is decent and allowed from what is politically incorrect and illegal. In his career, Djukanovic has often balanced between what is politically correct and what is illegal and immoral.

ПРЕДУПРЕЖДЕНИЕ ЗАНЯТИЯ ВЫСШЕГО ПОЛОЖЕНИЯ В ПРЕСТУПНОЙ ИЕРАРХИИ: КУЛЬТУРОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ АСПЕКТ

The paper analyzes the features of the criminal subculture that contribute to strengthening the criminal hierarchy and occupying the highest position in it. Regulatory and attributive features of the criminal subculture are highlighted. The corresponding cultural measures aimed at prevention of taking up the highest position in the criminal hierarchy are reduced to overcoming totalitarianism and extremism, the cult of criminal leaders’ personality, restriction on the use of cult tattoos, jargon, and other attributes of the criminal subculture. It is specified that when identifying a person who holds the highest position in the criminal hierarchy, special knowledge is essential not only regarding the mental sphere of the criminal but also about the criminal “world”, which in its whole forms a certain criminal subculture. It is proved that the attributive elements of the criminal subculture perform a number of functions in the criminal world, such as communication, conspiracy identification, and stratification as they allow to establish affiliation of a particular individual to a particular criminal caste. The paper specifies cultural determinants of taking up the highest position in the criminal hierarchy, and on their basis describes criminological approaches to prevent this type of crime. It is emphasized that the subject of cultural expertise in establishing the fact that a person holds a higher position in the criminal hierarchy is the specific status of this individual, the features of its acquisition, and the presence of distinctive attribute elements. The main task of the expert is to determine the conformity of the process of taking up a specific criminal status by a person to existing norms and traditions of the criminal community. The examples from investigations and court practice demonstrate the possibilities of forensic cultural expertise to establish the facts and circumstances that contributed (could have contributed) to the occupation of the highest position in the criminal hierarchy.

Cryptocurrencies as facilitators of cybercrime

The aim of the article is to show cryptocurrencies as facilitators of crime, especially cybercrime. While investing in cryptocurrencies is publicly discussed, their role in the criminal world is more hidden from the public, however, causes a lot of problems for law enforcement and regulatory authorities around the world. Criminals are interested in cryptocurrencies as targets for of their attacks, means of payment and as a method of money laundering. In this article, we discuss why cryptocurrencies have become a means of payment for the criminal underworld, what benefits they have from them, and what major challenges law enforcement is facing in that regard. The survey was conducted based on reports from authorities involved in the prosecution of cybercrime. We can conclude that the organized criminal underworld has a strong interest in cryptocurrencies and their popularity among ordinary, honest citizens, as in this way it is much easier for the criminals to conceal their activities and the origin of their assets.

Движение АУЕ*, как криминальное явление, детерминирующее развитие профессиональной преступности: сущность и способы борьбы*Организация запрещена в РФ

The article highlights the development and activities of such informal youth movement as «the criminal unity of Prisoners»,«the urkagan unity of Prisoners» or «the way of life of Prisoners is one» (hereinafter-AUE), which supports, promotes and develops the ideology of criminal «romance», criminal subculture. The main reasons for the formation of the informal youth movement in Russia and the version of the concept of AUE are considered. The main features of AUE associations are investigated: stability; stability of the composition (2 or more persons); common intent of members of associations aimed at preparing and committing crimes of extremist orientation (on the ideological component); coordination of actions of members of the Association; main-taining and promoting a criminal subculture; the presence of an organizer (leader) in the Association, connections with the criminal world, etc. The article studies the influence of this criminal phenomenon on the behavior of modern youth, as well as on the development of crime in modern Russia, including one of its most dangerous varieties - professional criminal activity. The main problems of bringing persons belonging to the AUE movement to administrative and criminal responsibility are considered. The article analyzes the activities of members of AUE associations in terms of extremism, as well as the possibility of bringing persons belonging to AUE associations to criminal responsibility under article 282.1 of the criminal code of the Russian Federation. As a practical conclusion, a list of signs of AUE associations that a law enforcement officer can refer to when qualifying crimes under article 282.1 of the criminal code of the Russian Federation is presented.

ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ АСПЕКТЫ ТАТУИРОВАНИЯ ТЕЛА У СОВРЕМЕННОЙ МОЛОДЕЖИ

The study of young people who apply tattoos and without them is discussed in the article. If earlier tattooing was considered as a destructive subculture of the criminal world, today the attitude of young people to tattoos has become a self-expression, a sign of their subculture. However, following the fashion most often has psychological aspects and mechanisms. The hypothesis of the study was the assumption that the perception of the body image, the characteristics of identity and selfattitude, self-presentation and existential orientation of young people with and without tattoos will have an internal relationship and significantly differ from each other. The study involved 112 young people with and without tattoos. Differences were found between the characteristics of young people with and without tattoos, such psychological aspects of the desire for tattooing were revealed, such as: perception of the body as a carrier of information, rather than the perception of the body in its holistic context; identification of young people with tattoos correlates with feminine characteristics and creative roles; high self-presentation, adequate self-esteem and low self-attitude; low level of comprehension and existential fulfillment.

Three Portraits of the Representatives of the Criminal World of the 30-40s of the 20th century (According to the Memoirs of I.A. Makhanov, the Chief Designer of Artillery Weapons of the Kirov Plant)

Three Portraits of the Representatives of the Criminal World of the 30-40s of the 20th century (According to the Memoirs of I.A. Makhanov, the Chief Designer of Artillery Weapons of the Kirov Plant)

Seizing the Center

This article intends to cast light on historical continuities between pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial organized violent crime in Indonesia and its connection to the country’s rulers. The core argument is that Indonesia and the polities which once existed in its territory have a long history of cooperation between the ruling elites and the criminal world. The early-modern era bandits, called jago, and the modern gangsters, known as preman, arguably represented an important pillar of the power of political regimes in Java from the pre-colonial Javanese kingdoms to the Netherlands East Indies’ colonial state to Soeharto’s New Order. In post-Soeharto Indonesia, political liberation combined with the impact of jihadist Islam(ism) has created conditions in which a number of leather-clad gangsters have turned into vigilante defenders of Islam, who are sometimes co-opted by influential interest groups and sometimes sent back to the political periphery after falling out of favor. While the primary objective of this paper is to analyze the issue of oscillation between incorporation, co-optation, and utilization of criminals and radical Islamic groupings by the powerful, on the one hand, and their elimination, on the other, the paper also looks into how Indonesian historiography has depicted these influential bandits/gangsters/vigilantes and how historiographical sources tend to legitimize them to create an authoritative nationalist narrative.