Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Organized crime group'

Les sciences criminelles ont mis en lumière le développement contemporain des infractions commises en groupe. Leur domaine recouvre des activités criminelles variées, du trafic de stupéfiants à la traite des êtres humains, en passant par la piraterie ou le terrorisme. La complexité et la gravité des crimes commis par ces groupes, ainsi que la capacité d'organisation qu'ils révèlent, constituent aujourd'hui une menace pour l'État de droit et pour la démocratie. Les groupes criminels prennent des formes diverses, depuis le regroupement ponctuel d'amateurs jusqu'aux réseaux organisés de professionnels aguerris et socialement implantés (bandes, mafias, sectes, milices...). Aussi le droit pénal doit-il s'adapter à cette délinquance collective et concertée. Cela pose la question des modalités de répression en cas de division des tâches et de pluralité d'agents, quand le droit pénal est traditionnellement soumis au principe de personnalité de la responsabilité. Cette recherche se propose donc de réaliser une étude comparative des dispositions adoptées en droit français et libanais, qui permettent d'appréhender les infractions commises en groupe en mettant l'accent sur la légitimité et sur l'efficacité des différentes techniques pénales introduites ces dernières années
Criminal sciences have highlighted the recent rise of group crime. This cover term refers to a variety of criminal activities, from drug smuggling to piracy and terrorism to human trafficking. The complexity and seriousness of the crimes committed by these groups, as well as the organizational capacity they reveal, constitute a threat for the rule of law and democracy today. Criminal groups take various forms, from informal, random petty thief bands to organized networks of hardened and socially embedded professionals (gangs, mafias, cults, militias). In response to this collective, well-planned crime, criminal law has to adapt itself. This raises the issue of how to tackle this problem in a context of division of labor and multiple agents, when criminal law traditionally applies the principle of personal liability. This piece of research therefore aims to make a comparative study of the measures taken by the French and Lebanese law to deal with group crime, focusing on the legitimacy and effectiveness of various criminal techniques introduced in recent years

While research increasingly recognizes the importance of civilian agency and strategies in influencing conflict dynamics and reducing civilian victimization in the context of armed conflict, research has until now not investigated whether civilians also have the capacity to limit organized criminal violence. This study thus aims to answer under which conditions civilians can protect themselves from and influence levels of organized criminal violence and draws on the literatures on civilian self-protection and autonomy strategies in the context of armed conflict, as well as on organized criminal governance and violence. I argue that civilian communities with high levels of social organization will experience lower levels of violence, as they are more likely to mount successful collective strategies that influence costs and benefits for organized crime groups to use violence. Using the method of structured focused comparison, this hypothesis is tested on the Colombian municipalities San Juan de Arama, Vistahermosa and Granada. The results show some support for the theorized relationship. In general, municipalities with higher levels of social organization experienced lower levels of organized criminal violence, but this relationship appears to be moderated by levels of civil war violence. Due to the explorative character of this study, more research is warranted.

The aim of terrorism is to influence a group of people or institutions - the psychological target or targets - by attacking the appropriate physical targets in order to prompt the desired response. Several factors influence the selection of physical targets by non-state terrorist groups. These include the ideology of the terrorist group concerned, the strategy adopted by the group and its capabilities, its need to take account of external opinion - including that of supporters, the measures adopted to protect likely targets, and the security environment within which the terrorist group operates. In addition, decision-making is affected by the dynamics within the group which are in turn affected by the psychological pressures of clandestinity and the frequent risk of death or capture which many terrorists run. The relationship between these factors varies from group to group, which is inevitable given the idiosyncratic nature of most terrorist groups, and the different circumstances in which they find themselves. However, it can generally be said that ideology sets out the moral framework within which terrorists operate - and which determines whether terrorists judge it to be legitimate to attack a range of target. After this, the determination of which targets it will actually be beneficial to attack depends upon the strategy which the group has adopted as a means of achieving its political objectives. The determination of their strategic objectives depends upon the effects which the terrorists hope their attacks will achieve. Thus, strategy further refines the range of targets initially delimited by the group's ideology. The other factors mentioned tend to act as constraints upon the group, partly - as with security measures - in restricting them from carrying out the types of attacks which they would desire but also in encouraging them to carry out attacks on certain targets in the hope of gaining benefits such as the approval of their supporters, or of gaining publicity for their cause. Underlying all of this is the human factor, whereby relations within the group, the impact of psychological pressure, and individual differences in moral judgements may influence the targets chosen by terrorists.

This thesis argues that organized crime is a sociological phenomenon with criminological dimensions that constitutes a threat to public security and order, economic development, social integrity, democracy and peace in Turkey, and consequently to the national security of the country. Sociological and political causes of organized criminality will be assessed through a multidimensional approach based on the identification of different conceptual areas and related indicators that characterize organized crime groups.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2007.
Title from electronic title page (viewed Apr. 25, 2008). "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of a Master of Arts in the Department of Political Science." Discipline: Political Science; Department/School: Political Science.

La criminalité organisée constitue une préoccupation pour les pouvoirs publics français et haïtiens et sa répression pénale se situe au cœur des droits français et haïtien. Pour ce faire, les deux législateurs ont dû adapter leur législation pénale afin de doter l’institution judiciaire de nouveaux instruments répressifs permettant la détection et la répression des infractions de criminalité organisée. Celles-ci sont réprimées via une double approche répressive proactive et réactive. On remarque que le droit pénal de la criminalité organisée tant substantiel que formel opère un glissement du réactif vers le proactif. Il s’agit d’une logique répressive qui privilégie l’efficacité répressive sur le respect des principes fondamentaux. Le droit à un procès équitable s’y trouve alors malmené. Dans les deux droits, les personnes impliquées dans des infractions organisées sont sévèrement sanctionnées et la confiscation des avoirs criminels est utilisée à des fins préventives et répressives. Cette répression se fait dans le cadre d’une coopération policière et judiciaire efficace qui favorise l’émergence de nouveaux instruments de coopération provoquant ainsi la mutualisation et la régionalisation des normes destinées à la répression pénale de la criminalité organisée. Cette étude comparative montre qu’Haïti peut bénéficier de l’expertise judiciaire française fondée sur la spécialisation des acteurs judiciaires qui interviennent dans le procès pénal
Organized crime is a major concern for the French and Haitian public forces and the related crime repression methods are at the core of the French and Haitian Criminal Law. In that sense, both legislators had to adapt their criminal legislation in order to provide the judicial system with new instruments of crime control to help detect and punish organized crime offenses. The latter are fought down via a double punishment approach that is proactive and reactive. We notice that the criminal law of organized crime, whether substantive or formal, slides from the reactive towards the proactive. It is a repressive logic that favours efficient repressive methods over the respect of fundamental principals. And therefore, the right of a fair trial is ill-used. In both Rights, the people involved in organized offences are severally sanctioned and the criminal assets are forfeited in order to apply preventive and repressive measures. This repression takes place within a cooperative efficient framework between the police and the judicial body and causes the emergence of new instruments of cooperation and the sharing and regionalization of the norms of criminal sanctions against organized crime. This comparative study shows that Haiti can benefit from the French judiciary expertise founded on the specialisation of the judiciary actors who participate in the criminal proceedings

Human trafficking is a widespread and growing crime in the world. Trafficking by its nature involves movement from one place to another and in most cases, it comprises crossing international borders. Although the estimation of victims of trafficking stretches to 2 450 000, the number of prosecutions is less than 5 000. This indicates the challenges faced by many countries in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases. Transnational human trafficking is committed in different places, making investigation and prosecution very complex. This paper examines how investigation and prosecution can be carried out when the criminal acts are committed in different countries. It also examines how the issue of jurisdiction is entertained. Furthermore, it addresses who can be termed as &ldquo
traffickers&rdquo
in dealing with human trafficking issues. Ethiopia is facing a big problem in fighting human trafficking. Like most countries, the issue of human trafficking is closely related to women. Ethiopia uses the criminal justice system as a tool to eradicate women trafficking. The investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases face many problems which have a direct impact on the country‟s efforts to overcome human trafficking. Thus, this research will contribute significantly by highlighting deficits in the criminal justice system as it deals with the investigation and prosecution of women trafficking issues and by making recommendations with regards to them.

The most challenging and spoken criminal phenomenon today is indisputably organised crime. It is a crime that both the general public, business community, commentators, researchers, scholars, journalists, writers, politicians, prosecutors, jurists and presiding officials debate with different interpretation and understanding of the concept as well as the manifestation of the phenomena. Debates on the subject have seen the dawn of rival terminologies of organised crime and crimes that are organised. While the United Nations has not assisted the nations in finding a definition of what organised crime is, the confusion has spread throughout the globe and South Africa has not been spared the pandemonium. The objective of this study is to comparatively assess the present understanding and setup in South Africa in comparison with Italy, Tanzania and the United States of America, identify the root causes of the confusion and find possible remedies to liberate the situation. The research concludes with the findings and recommendations.
Criminal & Procedural Law
LL.D.

The aim of this Diploma thesis is to elaborate on the topic of the fight against organized crime with a focus on criminal instruments of such a fight. Organized crime is undoubtedly a unique and dynamic phenomenon that penetrates almost every area of society. Currently it is one of the most serious global risks threatening the stability, security and development of civil society. The Diploma thesis begins with the definition of terms such as organized crime, then it deals with the causes, structure, selected forms of organized crime as well as its perception in the international community. The following chapter deals with the historical development of organized crime and the context between its boom in our territory and the fall of the Iron Curtain. The third chapter is a key part of this thesis and contains a substantive regulation of the prosecution of organized crime. It defines the terms of an organized criminal group and an organized group contained in the Criminal Code, describes the offense of participating in an organized criminal group and the limits of punishing this crime. The next chapter de lege lata discusses the most effective procedural instruments for combating organized crime, in particular the operational investigative means of criminal investigation. The penultimate chapter...

107 Forms of crime committed by organized crime - Abstract The aim of this work was to map the range of criminal offenses and other criminal acts perpetrated by perpetrators of organized crime. Members and supporters of criminal organizations commit a large number of different offenses, primarily with the intention of obtaining illegal profits. However, some actions aim at legalizing previous revenues, establishing contacts in police, justice, and public administration, or to prevent these groups from being exposed. A specific crime may have multiple meanings in the overall strategy of the organized crime subject. Such an act is committed to both profits and cover- up (eg murder, extortion). This work is divided into three parts. The first part, consisting of Chapter 1, deals with the theoretical and legal definition of organized crime and other related concepts, such as organized groups and organized criminal groups. For these characteristics, both professional treatises and legal regulations are used, including international conventions, EU legislation and the laws of the Czech Republic. This section also provides a demonstrative list of the main criminal activities of organized crime. The second part, consisting of chapters 2 and 3, focuses on the historical development of organized crime and the...

7 Criminological aspects of organized crime Abstract The aim of this study named Criminological aspects of organized crime is mainly to provide a general insight to organized criminality as itself a systematize particular legal and social means, that are used to fight organized crime these days. Apart from the identification of the problems connected with application of certain means in practice I tried to outline possible solutions for the future that would lead to increasing the effectivity of fight with organized crime. The first chapter is focused on the general definition of organized crime and particular trait names that characterise organized crime and distinguish it from other forms of criminal activity. The second chapter called development of organized crime is dedicated mainly to historical roots of organized crime, its origin and changes through time. The most important global organized criminal groups are described in the second part of this chapter, which are an Italian Mafia, American La Cosa Nostra, Chinese triad and other. The third chapter focuses on typology of organized crime and particular internal organizational structure, their typical signs an expressions, whereas offers several means of division. In the fourth chapter, I devoted myself to the development of organized crime in the...

International police co-operation is a recipe for success in the fight against transnational organised crime. Such cooperation has never been without challenges, especially in the light of disharmonious national laws. SARPCCO has made promising advances towards the elimination of blockages which hamper police cooperation. The joint, bilateral, simultaneous operations which are continuously carried out and the transferring of skills through training are exemplary to the rest of the world. SARPCCO is, however, struggling to make serious inroads into the organised motor vehicle theft because of the problems in returning them to their lawful owners. The objective of this study is to analyse the laws used by the SARPCCO member countries in fighting motor vehicle theft, transnational organised crime, recoveries, repatriation, prosecution and extradition of offenders. The SARPCCO member countries on which the analysis is done are Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia.
Jurisprudence
LL. M.

Text in English
The purpose of this study was to establish the vulnerabilities of the security control measures that are being used at Impala Platinum mines and refinery to prevent the theft of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs). It is important to ensure that the security control measures in place are effective and efficient in preventing the occurrence of such theft. The research examined the security risk management approach to the prevention of theft of PGMs and the causes of theft of PGMs by organised crime syndicates operating in South Africa and abroad. The study found that Impala Platinum employees, in collusion with contractors and members of mine security services, are involved in the theft of PGMs. To achieve the goals and objective of the research study, effective security control measures were identified that will help Impala Platinum mines and refinery to overcome the risks and challenges related to the theft of PGMs.
Security Risk Management
M. Tech. (Security Management)

Дульченко К. Ю. Контрабанда: основні напрями правової протидії : кваліфікаційна робота магістра спеціальності 262 "Правоохоронна діяльність" / наук. керівник К. М. Плутицька. Запоріжжя : ЗНУ, 2020. 93 с.
UA : Кваліфікаційна робота складається зі 93 сторінок, містить 70 джерел використаної інформації.У магістерській роботі, яка складається зі вступу, двух розділів, списку використаних джерел та додатка, узагальнено теоретичні знання про контрабанду як організованого злочину, в основі якого є економічні інтереси які безпосередньо загрожують економічній безпеці та зовнішньоекономічним зв’язкам держави в цілому. На цій основі визначено поняття «контрабанда», «протидія», досліджено порядок та проблеми реалізації економічної безпеки держави в межах всієї лінії протяжності та запропоновані можливі засоби та способи вирішення проблем контрабанди. Застарілість нинішньої системи та інтеграція європейських норм і досвіду зумовлює актуальність обраної теми та необхідність проведення глибокого аналізу нинішніх проблем контрабанди. Метою кваліфікаційної роботи є концептуальний аналіз нормативно –правової бази, визначення контрабанди як економічного злочину, запропонування способів і методів вирішення проблеми контрабанди, її подальше запобігання у майбутньому та сформування конкретних шляхів удосконалення державної політики щодо запобігання контрабанді. Об’єктом дослідження даної кваліфікаційної роботи є суспільні відносини та відносини у сфері митної справи, які підпорядковані нормам митного законодавства. Також досліджено відносини між підрозділами правоохоронних органів які запобігають контрабанді впродовж всієї лінії її протяжності, їх взаємодія один між одним для запобігання та подальшого захисту економічних інтересів держави. Предметом дослідження є товари або інші цінності як у вільному обігу так і предмети, обіг яких обмежений митним кодексом України.
EN : The qualification work consists of 93 pages, includes 70 sources of information used. The master's thesis, which consists of introduction, two chapters, bibliography and annexes, summarizes the theoretical knowledge on the smuggling as organised crime, which has economic interests that directly threaten the economic security and foreign economic relations of the state as a whole. On this basis, the definition of "contraband", "anti", studied the procedures and problems of implementation of economic security of the state within the entire line extension and proposed possible means and ways of solving problems of smuggling. The obsolescence of the current system and the integration of European norms and experience determines the relevance of the chosen topic and the need for in-depth analysis of the current problems of smuggling. The aim of qualifying work is a conceptual analysis of the legal framework, the definition of smuggling as economic crimes, offer ways and methods of solving the problems of smuggling, its further prevention in the future and shaping concrete ways to improve public policies for the prevention of smuggling. The object of study of this qualification are the social relations and the relations in the sphere of customs business that are subject to customs legislation. Also investigated the relationship between the law enforcement agencies to prevent smuggling throughout its length, their interaction between each other to prevent and then protect the economic interests of the state.

The study investigated the application of the crime threat analysis process at station level within the Nelson Mandela Metro City area with the objective of determining inhibiting factors (constraints) and best practices. Qualitative research methodology was applied and interviews were conducted with crime analysts and specialised investigators/intelligence analysts. The research design can be best described as descriptive and explorative in nature. The crime threat analysis process embroils the application of various crime analysis techniques and the outcomes thereof intends to have a dual purpose of generating operational crime management information in assisting crime prevention initiatives and crime detection efforts, mainly focussing on the criminal activities of group offenders (organised crime related), repeat offenders and serial offenders. During the study it became evident that crime analysts understand and thus apply the crime threat analysis process indifferently, which impeded on the relevancy and the utilisation thereof as an effective crime management tool.
Criminology
M.Tech. (Policing)

The diploma thesis is concerned with the topic of organized crime in the territory of the Czech Republic, in terms of both criminological and criminal law. Chapter One describes the problems with the terminological definition of the term "organized crime", defines the characteristics of this phenomenon and their specificity in relation to other forms of criminal activity. Chapter Two focuses on the causes and developmental changes of organized crime in the Czech Republic in order to highlight the seriousness of this phenomenon. The risks of organized crime are further elaborated in Chapter Three, which aims to familiarize readers with the most frequent organized crime groups operating within the territory of the Czech Republic. The specificity of the crime committed by the organized crime groups is pointed out by using real criminal cases. In order to complete a picture of the activities and structure of the organized criminal groups operating within our territory, this chapter is interleaved with the current statistical data obtained from the Criminal Statistics System of the Czech Republic. Chapter Four focuses on the main means and institutions in the field of the fight against organized crime, their development and the way how they affect the organized crime in our territory. To this end, this...

Celem pracy było przedstawienie w przekrojowy sposób rozwoju przestępczości zorganizowanej we Włoszech, oraz jego wpływu na powstanie organizacji przestępczych w innych państwach na świecie. Starałem się wymienić oraz scharakteryzować główne fale emigracji włoskiej na świecie, jak również ukazać organizacje przestępcze przybyłe wraz z emigrantami. Przedstawiłem prawnokarne środki zwalczania oraz zapobiegania przestępczości zorganizowanej we Włoszech jak i w wybranych państwach na świecie, w których działają członkowie włoskich grup przestępczych, lub w których działają grupy przestępcze współpracujące z innymi włoskimi organizacjami przestępczymi z Włoch. Przedstawiłem główne organizacje przestępcze oraz kierunki ich działania. Dokonałem również analizy metod, za pomocą których ustawodawca włoski stara się zapobiegać powstawaniu przestępczości zorganizowanej. W celu porównawczym przedstawiłem również rozwiązania prawne stosowane w innych państwach na świecie. W tym kontekście opisałem również organy wykorzystywane do jej zwalczania. Praca zawiera również informacje dotyczące międzynarodowych instytucji zwalczania przestępczości zorganizowanej. Moim celem było również ukazanie ewolucji członka organizacji przestępczej od „mafioso” zajmującego się głównie haraczami, dbającego o szacunek oraz honor - do wpływowego przedsiębiorcy, lub polityka starannie ukrywającego swoje powiązania z organizacją przestępczą. W pracy starałem się przedstawić również sylwetki członków organizacji przestępczych działających na terenie Polski, jako przykład na realne zagrożenie płynące od tego typu organizacji.
Organized crime has always been a serious issue in almost every country all over the world. But Italian organized crime is the “One” known by most, to the point that the term ‘Mafia’ is now understood across the globe as referring to the organized criminal underworld. In my work I tried to show an evolution of the best know Italian organized crime groups (Mafia, Sacra Corona Unita, Camorra ‘Ndrangheta) from “mobsters” collecting “Pizzo” (extortion) of honest men - as shown in the film of Francis Ford Coppola “The God Father”, through entrepreneurs participating in Italian public procurement auctions and owners of not 100% legal limited liability companies, to finally international businessman participating in an international organized crime groups dealing with money laundering, corruption, economical crime, human traffic, exotic animal traffic and many other. I also tried to show the evolution of an organization member, from the fusty uneducated proud of his membership in an organized group full of despise for people even just knowing how to write, to an intelligent well educated entrepreneur often a member of a political party that works hard to keep his secret life well hidden. The literature about the Italian organized crime is abundant. The “Mafiosi” have been described, analyzed and explained making everybody familiar with Italian organized crime. My work is much different from everything written so far. It is based on materials collected from the University of Catania, Italian Embassy of Warsaw, Italian Institute of Culture, Italian Ministry of the Interior and on interviews with convicts found guilty of organized crime. It defines the recent organized crime as the planned project to gain belongings of great value as well as high profit with minimum risk. Today legal companies are being used for the purpose of money laundering, all types of economic crimes, smuggling and worst of all - human trafficking. The work focuses on international groups run by Italians. I have proved that groups run by Italians were among all, the best organized and with a potential to adapt to a variety of different legal conditions. But what is transnational organized crime? By the year 2000 there was no such definition and countries had to deal with organized crime on their own. The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, adopted by General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000, is the main international instrument in the fight against transnational organized crime. Even though it was signed by a broad number of states it does not contain a precise definition of organized crime. This lack of definition was intended to allow for a broader applicability of the Organized Crime Convention to new types of crime that emerge constantly as global, regional and local conditions changing over time. There is though a definition of a organized criminal group. It is a group of three or more persons that was not randomly formed, existing for a certain period of time acting in concert with the aim of committing at least one crime punishable by at least four year's incarceration in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit. As the convention held place in Palermo the definition is a copy of the art 416 bis of the Italian Penal Code. Italian Mafia sometimes used to be run from inside the prison. Mafia lords used to commit crimes punishable by maximum 2-3 years of incarceration. Then they could run the organization by giving orders during visiting hours. For that reason Italians introduced art 41 of the Italian Penal Code. It states that people convicted of rug-trafficking; homicide; aggravated robbery and extortion; kidnapping; importation, buying, possession or cession of huge amounts of drugs; and crimes committed for terrorism or for subversion of the constitutional system may be treated as a threat to the society and be held with extra caution. They are banned on: 1.the use of the telephone; 2. interaction in any way with any other prisoners; 3. meeting with third party members during the visitation; 4. receiving parcels; 5. organizing cultural, recreational or sporting activities; 6. voting or standing in elections for prisoner representatives; 7. taking part in arts-and-crafts activities, Even with such sever laws Italian criminal groups remain active. The one that is considered the most dangerous is the ‘Ndrangheta. It is a Calabrian organization that holds a dominant position in the cocaine market in Europe, and is involved in many other criminal fields, including weapon trafficking, fraud, corruption, intimidation and environmental crime. The clever use of the legitimate businesses structures created by the Clans permits them to hide the criminal nature of their profits and, combined with corruption to infiltrate the economic and political environments in which they operate. According to the studies of Interpol ‘Ndrangheta besides Italy remains active in Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Eastern Europe. It is powerful in Canada, the United States and Australia as well. In my work I have shown that the Polish legal system may learn from the Italian legal solutions and may benefit from a closer cooperation. Many investigations are successfully conducted in Italy against Mafias every year. Many of them contain links to groups, clans, fugitives, straw men, professionals and companies located abroad. These links should be systematically exploited in a coordinated way through Europol’s dedicated projects.

The institution of an organised criminal group in conjunction with the Penal Code and case law The submitted diploma thesis concerns the institution of an organised criminal group in terms of effective legal regulation, and suggests legal solutions for the future. To meet the objectives of this thesis, it was necessary to study available legal regulations, case law, specialised literature and documents of international law. At the beginning of this thesis, it was necessary to distinguish the term of an organised criminal group from other two similar terms included in this thesis, namely the term of organised crime and the term of an organised group. This distinction was essential because all of these terms were further used in the thesis. The second chapter is dedicated to historical context of legislation regarding the organised criminal group. It was especially documents of two international organisations, the UN and the EU, which had considerable influence on the legislation in the Czech Republic. One subchapter also deals with the development in the Czech Republic itself. In the third chapter, there is a research of the institution of an organised criminal group in terms of effective legal regulation. The research was aimed at following terms: a) organised criminal group according to section 129...

The Kenyan state is currently under pressure from two sides: First, numerous non-state armed groups have taken over the provision of security in areas where the state is practically absent. Second, drug-trafficking organizations are gaining ground as the country is increasingly being used as a major transit hub for narcotics. This article investigates the relationship between drug trafficking and informal security provision in Kenya and draws analogies from comparable experiences in Latin America and West Africa. Field research in Kenya has demonstrated that profit-oriented, informal security actors in Mombasa work for drug lords, while their counterparts in Nairobi are more likely to be hired by politicians. Moreover, faith-based vigilante groups in both cities appear to be less susceptible to external manipulation by drug traffickers. The article concludes by considering the potential consequences of an expansion of the drug trade in Kenya.
© 2014 GIGA. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. Africa Spectrum is an Open Access publication. It may be read, copied and distributed free of charge according to the conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

This study focuses on examining the security implications of money laundering and countermeasures, with reference to South Africa. The purpose of this study was to establish the following:

• What is the extent, and what are the security implications of money laundering in South Africa;
• whether the current money laundering countermeasures in South Africa were effectively implemented from 1994 up to the end of 2006;
• if South Africa could implement better money laundering controls when compared to the G7/8 countries; and
• what the factors were that influenced money laundering in South Africa, compared to the G7/8 countries

This study also examined the validity of the following assumptions:

• That there are still shortcomings in the practical application of money laundering countermeasures in South Africa, despite these countermeasures being based on the legislative measures adopted by the G7/8 countries; and
• money laundering promotes crime and corruption in South Africa.

An analysis of the South African anti-money laundering legislation indicated that South Africa had legislatively adopted all of the Financial Action Task Force money laundering recommendations. It was found that despite the strong legislative framework to combat money laundering in South Africa, these efforts were undermined by a lack of capacity; poor coordination that led to a large volume of reports being filed without a corresponding track record of successful prosecutions; and the failure to adopt advances in information technology. This led to a lack of effectively and efficiently translating the anti-money laundering legislation into practice in South Africa.
Dissertation (M(Security Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2008.
Political Sciences
unrestricted

This doctoral thesis is concerned with an in-depth analysis of organized crime under criminological and criminal-law aspects, taking an approach that recognizes organized crime as a multi-faceted, dynamically changing category. The importance of this issue derives, firstly, from the grave threat to society which it represents and, secondly, from the on-going international and domestic discussions of the need for better tools to eradicate it. The first part of this work conveys the nature of organized crime, and based upon an understanding of the modern forms of organized crime raises and reappraises the important substantive-law questions of its criminalization and punishment. Organized crime is inseparably associated with the most controversial institutions of procedural criminal law, namely, the institutions of the cooperating accused person, informers, agents provocateurs, and the protected witness, which in the fight against organized crime represent a serious challenge for the fundamental principles of procedural criminal law. A theoretical analysis of these issues follows, which, together with a look on the consequences of the imperfect current Czech legislation being applied in practice, highlights the need for reappraisal and reform of the current laws. The thesis takes a critical,...

Objectifs. Les objectifs de ce mémoire sont au nombre de deux. Le premier objectif est scindé en deux : l’objectif 1A est d’évaluer l’apport et la validité/fiabilité de l’analyse descriptive des règlements de compte amorcée par Cordeau dans sa thèse de doctorat de 1991 puis d’étendre la portée de cette analyse descriptive de part et d’autre des années 1970-1986. Ceci sera fait afin de voir si les règlements de compte de la période de Cordeau diffèrent de notre ensemble; l’objectif 1B est d’évaluer différents taux afin de voir lesquels nous permettent de mieux comprendre les grandes tendances des règlements de compte et leurs vagues. Enfin, le deuxième objectif est d’utiliser l’analyse de réseau afin de confirmer certains points ressortant de l’analyse descriptive des règlements de comptes et d’analyser la structure sociale du règlement de compte au Québec entre 1953 et 2013. Méthodologie. En faisant appel à Allô Police et plusieurs autres sources médiatiques, nous avons constitué une base de données des règlements de comptes québécois entre de 1953 à 2013. Nos analyses font appel à une approche holistique qui intègre à la fois l’analyse statistique descriptive, les tableaux croisés, l’analyse temporelle et l’analyse de réseau afin de bien cerner la question des règlements de compte. Résultats. Nos principaux résultats sont au nombre de quatre: 1) les grandes tendances qu’avait trouvées Cordeau entre 1970-1986 s’appliquent pour l’ensemble des règlements de compte de 1953 à 2013. Ainsi, peu de variations importantes ont été observées entre nos règlements de compte et ceux de Cordeau ; 2) les taux alternatifs se basant sur la population carcérale ou criminelle ne permettent pas de mieux comprendre les règlements de compte par rapport à un taux basé sur la population générale. Par contre, les proportions proposées par Morselli et al (2008) amènent une meilleure conception des périodes d’effervescences du milieu; 3) les groupes criminels qui sont plus exposés à la violence sont aussi ceux qui ont le plus recours à la violence et; 4) les indépendants occupent une place importante parmi les victimes de règlements de compte et ont donc une place importante dans le milieu criminel. Conclusion. Nos résultats font état du besoin d’intégrer différentes approches théoriques et méthodologiques afin de bien cerner la question complexe qu’est le règlement de compte. Avec les avenues de recherches identifiées à la fin de ce mémoire, nous espérons que la relève sera en mesure de mettre à profit les apprentissages de ce mémoire.
Objectives. This thesis has two objectives. The first objective is divided in two: objective 1A is to evaluate and extend the descriptive analysis of account settlement trends started by Cordeau in his doctoral thesis of 1991. This will be done so as to compare his dataset to ours and see if any significant differences emerge; Objective 1B is to look into the construction and use of alternative account settlement rates to see which one allow us to be better capture the dynamics (ebbs and flows, general tendencies) of this particular subset of homicides. Our final objective is to use social network analysis to confirm and highlight certain findings that will come about through the descriptive analysis. The use of social network analysis will also allow us to analyze the social structure of account settlements in Quebec between 1953 and 2013. Methodology. Using datasets compiled from Allô Police and other media sources, our approach is a holistic one that seeks to incorporate descriptive statistical analysis, cross-tabulation, trend analysis and social network analysis so as to properly frame and study account settlement patterns and trends. Results. There are four main results in our study: 1) most of the trends found by Cordeau in his account settlement dataset (1970-1986) are also present within our dataset (1953-2013). There are, thus, few important variations between the two datasets; 2) compared to a general population rate, alternative rates based on the prison population or the larger criminal populations do not add to our understanding of the phenomena. However, the use of rates proposed by Morselli et al (2008) do allow for a clearer picture of unusual periods of activity within the criminal milieu; 3) criminal groups that are more exposed to violence tend to be the groups that resort to violence the most; 4) independent operators form a majority of our account settlement victim dataset and this would seem to indicate the importance of their role in organized crime. Conclusion. Our results illustrate the need for better integration of different methodologies and theories to properly analyze and understand account settlement trends. With the multiple avenues of research identified at the end of this thesis, we hope that future research can make use of theoretical and methodological integration to build a more complete picture of account settlement trends.

This study was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of drug trafficking with specific reference as to how South African drug mules are used in crossborder drug smuggling. Through media analysis, semi-structured interviews with drug trafficking experts and a literature study the researcher was able to make findings and recommendations as per the objectives of the study. The objectives of the study included examining how drug mules smuggle drugs across South African borders; what role drug mules play in drug trafficking syndicates and the motivations and reasons why South Africans are increasingly being recruited as drug mules. The researcher also attempted to determine the nature and extent of the drug demand supply in and to South Africa. By making the deduction that drug demand and drug supply are interrelated the researcher was ultimately able to conclude that drug mules will continue to engage in drug smuggling as long as there is a demand for drugs and readily available drug supply routes to and from a county. From the media reports analysed cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin were the drugs most smuggled by South African drug mules. It is also clear from the media reports that cocaine and methamphetamine are smuggled in the largest quantities by South African drug mules. The quantities of heroin found in the possession of South African drug mules were insignificantly small. This contradicts treatment centre data analysed that indicated heroin and methamphetamine users were almost double in numbers in comparison to cocaine users being treated at centres. Most South African drug mules are used to smuggle drugs to the cocaine markets in Europe and South Africa; the cannabis/marijuana (herb) market in Europe; the cannabis (resin) hashish market in Canada and the United States of America; the crystal methamphetamine market in the Far East (largely Japan and Korea) and the heroin market in South Africa. Using criminology theories as a basis, the researcher attempted to describe why people are vulnerable to being recruited as drug mules. Findings concluded that structural factors such as poverty and unemployment and substance abuse-related problems, particularly in marginalised and disadvantaged communities, all contribute to South Africans becoming drug mules. Recommendations by the researcher focused on identifying specific vulnerabilities associated with drug mule recruiting and its consideration in legislation relating to drug trafficking in South Africa. The recommendations focus on the specific prosecution of drug abusers, drug mules, drug distributors and drug mule recruiters. Lastly it is projected by the researcher that the drug demand in South Africa will continue to increase if the drug supply routes and drug smuggling operations by syndicates are not addressed more firmly
Criminology
M.A. (Criminology)