Transnational Criminal Organizations Research Articles

Europol’s role in the fight against cybercrime

Aim: The aim of the study is to present the role and activities of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) in combating cybercrime, with a particular focus on the latest technological solutions and cooperation mechanisms. Methodology: The research involved analysing the strategies and tools employed by the EC3. Data collection and analysis utilised Europol’s internal reports, publicly available sources, and case studies to provide a comprehensive overview of EC3’s activities and effectiveness. Findings: The EC3 plays a crucial role in the fight against cybercrime, particularly in dealing with transnational criminal organisations and advanced cyber threats. The EC3 is divided into three main divisions: the operational unit, the digital support unit, and the expertise unit. The operational unit maintains four permanent analytical projects, each focusing on different areas of cybercrime. Value: The study provides valuable insights into the functioning of the EC3 and its contributions to the global fight against cybercrime. It highlights Europol’s effective cooperation model, which aids in international collaboration against cyber threats. EC3’s activities significantly enhance information sharing and operational cooperation among member states, thereby increasing the effectiveness of defences against cybercrime.

Az Europol szerepe a kiberbűnözés elleni küzdelemben

Aim: The aim of the study is to present the role and activities of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) in combating cybercrime, with a particular focus on the latest technological solutions and cooperation mechanisms. Methodology: The research involved analysing the strategies and tools employed by the EC3. Data collection and analysis utilised Europol’s internal reports, publicly available sources, and case studies to provide a comprehensive overview of EC3’s activities and effectiveness. Findings: The EC3 plays a crucial role in the fight against cybercrime, particularly in dealing with transnational criminal organisations and advanced cyber threats. The EC3 is divided into three main divisions: the operational unit, the digital support unit, and the expertise unit. The operational unit maintains four permanent analytical projects, each focusing on different areas of cybercrime. Value: The study provides valuable insights into the functioning of the EC3 and its contributions to the global fight against cybercrime. It highlights Europol’s effective cooperation model, which aids in international collaboration against cyber threats. EC3’s activities significantly enhance information sharing and operational cooperation among member states, thereby increasing the effectiveness of defences against cybercrime.

How do transnational criminal organizations exploit advancements in technology to carry out cybercrimes on a global scale?

How do transnational criminal organizations exploit advancements in technology to carry out cybercrimes on a global scale?

The Characteristics of Transnational Organized Crime and the Factors Which Have Contributed to its Development

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how transnational organized crime has changed over time, what factors have led to its development and what are its main characteristics. Transnational criminal organizations differ significantly from one another in terms of organizational structure, type of activity, size and territorial extent. Transnational organized crime operates through a network of homogeneous, interconnected groups. It is active in a number of areas ranging from bank fraud, cybercrime, drug trafficking, trafficking of goods and people to the seizure of government funds. The globalization process is one of the most important factors in the development of this phenomenon. One of the biggest problems is the participation of organized crime in political power at the horizontal (legislative and executive) and vertical (central and local) levels, as well as the influence on the judiciary. Continuous international cooperation as well as concrete steps in the design and harmonization of legislation are some elements to curb cross-border organized crime. Received: 18 February 2024 / Accepted: 27 June 2024 / Published: 02 July 2024

THE CHANGES IN ENSURING THE MILITARY SECURITY ACTIONS

The security and military-strategy landscape of countries worldwide is undergoing significant changes. Following these changes, traditional hard power policies have evolved in terms of content and manifestation, giving rise to the concept of a "New cold war." This new approach utilizes information technology, economic actions, and political pressure methods and tactics, significantly decreasing the budget and costs associated with traditional warfare. The new Cold War approach emphasizes the use of new technologies, information space, and political and economic actions. As global defense costs rise, the strategy's content and objectives are constantly evolving. The traditional hard power policy has evolved into a new Cold War. This article will specifically consider the new trends in the changes in military affairs and I will provide my opinion and conclusions. The initial phase of the emerging Cold War is primarily unfolding in the realm of information in cyberspace. It focused on strategically targeting social and political arenas with goal of the weakening the societal and economic structures. The countries around the world view basis of the potential threats as information warfare, psychological operations, economic coercion, internal governance challenges, transnational criminal organizations, and environmental degradation influenced by external factors. In this reason, the military strategy and security policy will prioritize anticipating and preventing risks. The science of security has evolved to focus on potential challenges and risks, regulating development policies to ensure existence. Due to these evolving factors, the field of security has transformed into a science of Security of existence, with a greater emphasis on anticipating challenges and risks and shaping development policies.

Irregular Migration from Türkiye to The United States

The United States’ southern border has been witnessing a record increase in illegal entrance of Turkish citizens. According to the data provided by the United States border patrol, during the 2023 fiscal year, 15.542 Turkish citizens entered the country illegally through the United States-Mexican border. This number was under 100 per year over the last decade. Although it has not gotten much attention in media and academic circles, the rate of the increase in the number of Turkish citizens entering the United States illegally is alarming. While the main reasons of the high numbers of people migrating from Erdogan’s Türkiye include general insatiateness regarding economic and political problems, substandard working conditions and underdeveloped fundamental human rights protection system United States’ prestigious image in the world, strong economy and promising future can be counted among the main reasons that migrants prefer it as destination country. The surprising rise of Turkish citizens choosing Mexico as a transit country to enter the States is attributed to the transnational criminal organizations’ connections to Türkiye. The dire circumstances Turkish people experience and their endeavor to find a way to “get out of Türkiye” plays into the hands of cartels. The article points out this multilateral phenomenon and sets forth the push and pull factors, elaborating the involvement of transnational criminal organizations in Mexico.

Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation: Implications for Sahel Regional Security

The study examined small arms and light weapons proliferation and its implications for Sahel regional security. The study adopted institutional theory propounded by Meyer John and Rowen Brian. It adopted Ex-post facto research design, data for the study were sourced through secondary sources and analyzed using content analysis. The study discovered that the Sahel region's porous borders make it simple for illicit traffickers to smuggle small arms and light weapons because transnational criminal organisations and armed groups are very mobile in uncontrolled border regions. The study recommended among others that; states in the region should intensify efforts towards strict monitoring and management of local illicit manufacturing of firearms.

Beyond the Goldsmith Line: Assessing the Intricacies of Border Control, Regional Interactions, and Cross-Border Risks in the Iran-Pakistan Border Region

The Goldsmith Line is a crucial 564-mile route that runs from the Koh-i-Malik Siah tri-junction to Gawadar on the Arabian Sea coast, serving as a significant connection between the Middle East and South Asia, specifically dividing Iran and Pakistan. The Baloch people living on both sides of this border contribute to the region's demographic importance. This study examines the intricacies of border management, exploring historical elements such as regional alliances, relationships with the United States, and sectarian conflicts that have influenced security in the area. The Goldsmith Line is not involved in territorial issues but has security challenges because of cross-border migration, drug smuggling, and extremism. The border has become a potential battleground due to ongoing tensions and separatist operations. Despite the 1960 Border Accord and the 2013 security management agreement, controlling the area is difficult because of insufficient infrastructure and technology. The study examines how the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has affected Iran-Pakistan relations and proposes that a strategic partnership rather than sectarianism should be the basis for bilateral ties. Transnational criminal organizations are increasing, making border security more complex, leading to attacks and allegations between the two nations. To tackle these difficulties, we need increased collaboration, technical progress, and a wider emphasis on socioeconomic growth to reduce criminal activities and promote regional stability.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT APPLIED TO CRIMINAL AGRICULTURE: Acase study of cocaine seizures in Brazil.

Transnational criminal organizations such as those that operate in international drug trafficking function as multinationals, which is why it is possible to observe clear fundamentals of business management in their operations. Among them, those observing Supply Chain Management and Operations, common to legal business on a global scale, stand out. In this study, based on observations of 21 (twenty-one) large seizures of cocaine carried out by Brazilian security forces between 2017 and 2023, the application of such concepts is evident. The analyzed sample, select due to its homogeneous profile, contains import standards such as the size of the bales, the packaging technique, the type of textile fiber used in the bale packaging, the sewingpattern of the bales, the means of transport, the dynamics of logistic integration between the different stages of the supply chain. The complexity of the crime in question and the dynamics of supply chain management is a preponderant factor for its efficiency, maintenance of scale and mitigation of costs associated with losses resulting from seizures. It is also crucial for assessing the level of difficulty faced by security forces in combating international drug trafficking: the dependence on defense infrastructure, technology and intelligence is clear for defense, homeland security and police activities to be successful.

INTERPOL Washington Commemorates 100 Years of INTERPOL’s Work to Build a Safer World for All

Aim: The aim of the study is to examine the past, present, and future role of international law enforcement cooperation through INTERPOL in combatting transnational crime.Methodology: The author of this study is the Director of INTERPOL Washington, who conducts a thorough review of the challenges the agency confronts in its efforts to advance homeland security and build a safer world for all.Findings: INTERPOL has made many advances and had many successes throughout the first 100 years of its existence. But the work is far from done. The world faces new and emerging threats from transnational criminal organisations that take nothing less than a lockstep approach between partners to keep our countries safe. The only way to effectively combat transnational crime is through international police partnerships.Value: This study should convey that now, more than ever, we must continue to work together to build strong partnerships, harness the power of ever-changing technology, and invest in our people to ensure that we can stay ahead of the growing number of threats that our countries and communities face every day.

MS-13의 ‘악마화’와 트럼프 시기 반이민 담론

MS-13 is a violent organization that emerged in California in the 1980s and was formed around immigrant children and refugees from El Salvador. The organization's main activity spaces are in Central American countries and the United States, but they also appear in several European countries, such as Spain and Italy. It is estimated that there are currently more than 30,000 members. MS-13 has emerged as a social concern in the United States as former President Trump attacked it as a symbol of anti-immigration policy. Trump used the violence of the MS-13 in a provocative way to set up anti-immigration policies and border barriers he was pushing for.
 Trump attacked the organization as a threat to national security, not just emphasizing the violence of the MS-13 to justify its anti-immigration policy. In search of new opportunities, migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border were denounced as violent illegal immigrant groups related to transnational criminal organizations. With Trump emphasizing the violence of MS-13 to achieve his political goals and labeling it a detriment to national security, MS-13 has emerged as the main focus of American society.
 Such attacks on MS-13 can be criticized for hiding excessive prejudice and political intentions. In other words, MS-13 was strategically selected to brand it as a transnational criminal organization that threatens American society and stimulate anti-immigration sentiment. In this article, we would like to broaden our understanding of MS-13 through the context in which MS-13 emerged as a representative gang organization. To this end, I would like to critically examine the background of the emergence of MS-13 and the evaluation that MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization. Since then, we will look at the context in which MS-13 has emerged as a social concern in relation to Trump's anti-immigration narrative.

Weak State as a Security Threat: Study Case of El Salvador (2014-2019)

Weak State as a Security Threat: Study Case of El Salvador (2014-2019)

Organized crime: current Ukrainian realities and steps to prevent

Purpose. The purpose of this research is to review extreme approaches to understanding organized crime, its components and signs, as well as to highlight those of them that are modern and inherent to it under the conditions of a large-scale Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory. Method. Induction and deduction are applied when forming author's own conclusions; analysis and synthesis of scientific achievements of a number of researchers, the state of regulatory and legal support. System-structural and functional methods were used in the process of conducting this scientific research.The results. The author is convinced that, as of today, in our country, all illegal activity in the conglomerate of organized crime is not properly accounted for, and this fact is in a cause-and-effect relationship with the established fact that a single legislative and/or doctrinal definition of the concept of "organized "crime" does not exist, as well as its exhaustive components and signs. Their list was expanded and modernized through analysis and synthesis.It has been proven that with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian aggressor on Ukrainian territory, the problems of organized crime changed somewhat and some of its components became more acute, in particular, despite the fact that as of February 2022 there was a certain "slowing down" of its spread and influence, it was established that on today its new networks "bloomed". The "merger" of transnational criminal organizations with international terrorist organizations has been tracked, especially with regard to the activities of Russian organized crime in the war with Ukraine. Scientific novelty. A significant amount of research has been devoted to this problem, but the full-scale invasion of the aggressor country has brought approaches to understanding the declared problem to a new level, when organized crime should be considered through the prism of its institutionalization, fusion with terrorist activities for the benefit of and with the participation of the aggressor country, its spread in the digital spaces for conducting "active military operations" there, etc.Practical significance. It is believed that the results of the research will help to understand not only the scale of modern organized crime, but also individual author's generalizations and conclusions can shed light on how to counteract it.

Transnational gangs and criminal remittances: a conceptual framework

Policy responses to transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) within migrant receiving countries often conflate all organizations which conduct illegal activity in multiple countries based on the mafia or cartel model. This model imagines the TCO to be the most evolved form of organized crime: deeply institutionalized, well resourced, hierarchically structured, highly profitable, and diversified in their criminal activities. Such a model informs law enforcement and immigration policies which are often draconian and counterproductive to citizen security. In reality, transnational crime is highly varied in organization, activities, scope, and membership. A major TCO type that defies the mafia archetype is the transnational gang. This study seeks to nuance our understanding of TCOs, illustrated by case studies of two transnational gangs, MS-13 and Satudarah, by advancing the concept of criminal remittances to locate agency in transnationalization. As the case studies demonstrate, for transnational gangs, the remittance of criminal activity is not at the organization level but at the individual and state level. Thus the transnationalization of crime can itself be the product of state foreign and migration policies.

Interstate hostility and maritime crime: Evidence from South East Asia

Maritime Asia remains crucial to global economic growth and prosperity. Nearly 40% of the world's seaborne trade transits the South China Sea each year, and nine of the top ten busiest container ports in the world are located in the Indo-Pacific region. But uncertainties also pervade the region as governments struggle to combat numerous security challenges while violent non-state actors and trans-border criminal groups continue to exploit the environment. In this study, we examine the nexus between maritime crime and inter-state security, centering on the tactical decision-making of non-state criminal actors. To avoid capture, maritime criminals locate their illicit activities near sea-boundaries where rival states aim to avoid regime confrontations that could escalate to more costly disputes. Pirates, smugglers, and illegal fishers can use these contested border zones as sanctuaries similar to guerilla forces fleeing across land boundaries to avoid pitched battles with regime military units. Using an original geocoded dataset on maritime piracy (MPELD), we find significant support for our hypothesis that conflict among states substantively influences the location of maritime crime. Our study has important implications for global efforts to counter transnational criminal organizations and their illicit activities in maritime spaces defined by territorial quarrels.

Human Trafficking : A Review

Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage or the extraction of organs or tissues including for surrogacy and ova removal. Human trafficking can occur within a country or trans-nationally. Human trafficking is a crime against the person because of the violation of the victim's rights of movement through coercion and because of their commercial exploitation. Human trafficking is the trade in people, especially women and children, and does not necessarily involve the movement of the person from one place to another. Human trafficking is the third largest crime industry in the world, behind drug dealing and arms trafficking, and is the fastest-growing activity of trans-national criminal organizations. Human trafficking is a human rights violation and a global health problem. Victims of human trafficking have medical and mental health sequelae requiring specific healthcare interventions. Healthcare professionals may be the initial contact that these victims make outside the world of trafficking. Healthcare professionals are key agents in the identification of human trafficking, which is essential in eliminating this public health problem. Unfortunately, healthcare professionals are not always able to detect signs of human trafficking. Failure to detect results in missed opportunities to assist victims. This is a case report of a victim of human trafficking who presented to an emergency department with medical and mental health issues. Despite numerous encounters with different healthcare professionals, signs and symptoms of human trafficking were not identified. Skilled assessment made by a forensic nurse alerted the healthcare team to clear features of human trafficking associated with this person. Through this case report we illustrate the key role the nurse played in identifying signs of human trafficking. Improvement of human trafficking educational programs is highlighted as a key adjunct to improving detection and facilitating the proper treatment of victim.

On the criminal law measures of regulation of surrogacy in foreign countries

The relevance of the article is termined by the fact that the surrogacy industry is currently rapidly developing. This is not only an effective way to help couples who do not have the opportunity to conceive children on their own, but also a big business. The cost of commercial surrogacy is quite high. This correct and useful deed quickly turned into a high-budget illegal event. It involves transnational criminal organizations. In this connection, the attitude towards surrogacy around the world is diverse and ambiguous. There are countries where this act is prohibited under threat of punishment. The aim of the study is to comprehensively study the legal problems of regulating relations associated with surrogacy. The research methodology is based on the analysis of the criminal law regulation of similar relations in foreign countries, implementation of best practices in the legislation of the Russian Federation as well as improvement of regulatory legal acts in matters of assisted reproduction and protection of individuals from illegal exploitation. The author came to the conclusion that it is necessary to adopt uniform standards for all countries that regulate surrogacy, which would take into account the interests of all the parties involved and create a mechanism for crim-inal law counteraction to shadow surrogacy.

The Current State of Transnational Organized Crime

The paper indicates that criminal groups may differ in terms of size, the scope of operations, types of activities, territorial range, relations with authorities and management, internal organization, and the set of means and methods used to promote their criminal activities and to guard against measures taken by the Government and law enforcement bodies. When national, historical, and cultural differences are taken into account, the diversity of criminal organizations becomes even more evident, while prevention and suppression pose even greater challenges for law enforcement agencies, especially in countries where these organizations are active in their illegal activities. The study is aimed at analyzing national-level legislative measures that may be efficient about one type of organized criminal group, but may not be appropriate for other types. To solve the problems formulated, a complex methodology will be required, combining empirical studies of specific facts and a fundamental theoretical understanding of the conceptual foundations of the problem posed. The results of the analysis made it possible to theoretically substantiate the increased social danger of transnational organized criminal groups, which entails the adoption of appropriate legislative measures. Identifying the latency level of transnational crimes will make it possible to assess the efficiency of the existing sets of measures against it, as well as to formulate recommendations on improving the system of legislative measures to prevent the activities of transnational criminal organizations. A gap in the study can be attributed to the insufficient amount of statistical information on the analyzed crime. The novelty of the research lies in the comprehensive analysis of the current state of transnational organized crime.

Terrorist organizations as hybrid actors of the international political process: a new challenge to the transatlantic community

The subject of the study is to identify the place and role of terrorist organizations in the system of international relations and global security from the point of view of strategic approaches of the Western expert-analytical community and official political institutions of nation states, the EU and NATO. Globalization, the growing influence of non-State actors, including armed groups, as well as changing views on the nature and essence of the State have contributed to the hidden or explicit subjectivization of many participants in the international political process. Special attention is paid in the article to the new concept of "hybrid actor", which is widely discussed among experts and scientists at the present time. For the first time, the paper attempts to compare the positions of the United States and its European allies on interaction with hybrid actors. Thus, in recent decades, non-State actors have evolved in terms of political, social and military capabilities. This trend is evident in the Middle East and North Africa region, where the combination of weak State institutions, the presence of conflicts and instability has provided fertile ground for the actions of armed groups. Non-State armed groups in the Middle East are extremely diverse and include local, tribal and communal formations, transnational criminal organizations and networks, classic rebel opposition groups and so on. Within this broad category, a number of non-State armed groups have evolved to perform political, social and managerial functions.

Threats to national security from trafficking network from urban environments to the transnational circulation of illicit drugs

Increased cocaine production and hegemony of transnational routes have strengthened South American drug trafficking networks. This expansion has unfolded into armed violence in Brazil, as Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCO) compete over hegemony of drug corridors and distribution not only in metropolitan regions but, especially, in inner cities. Thus, this study aims to analyze how the new territories of South American drug trafficking relate to the nature and spatiality of violence in Brazil, and to assess what type of direct threat this brings to national security. We have collected georeferenced quantitative data in the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), the Homicide Monitor of the Igarapé Institute, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). We built our maps and performed our spatial analysis with the Philcarto software. Finally, we observed that the capillarization and hegemony of drug trafficking territories drive the violence in the internal borders and inland cities in Brazil.