Combating Transnational Crime: Concepts, Activities and Responses

The challenge posed by transnational organized crime is a formidable one. In recent years, however, some progress has been made by states and international organizations in developing measures to combat criminal enterprises. This volume can be understood as a snapshot of these efforts. It is divided into three sections: conceptual analyses relating to various facets of the problem; some examples of transnational organized crime and illegal markets in operation; and papers looking at various initiatives that governments and international organizations have taken and/or need to take. This book seeks to explain: the rise of transnational organized crime, its nature and meaning, its operations in illegal markets, and the various ways in which it is organized. It also includes case studies of specific criminal activities such as maritime fraud as well as analyses of trafficking in women and children and the black market in light weapons. The volume also examines the political, juridicial, and law enforcement responses, with attention given to Interpol's approach, developments in the European Union - Third Pillar and Europol - and the International Atomic Energy Agency's response to nuclear material trafficking.

Table of Contents:
Introduction and overview, Phil Williams and Dimitri Vlassis. Part 1 Conceptual issues: the dynamics of illegal markets, Pino Arlacchi; transnational crime - definitions and concepts, Grehard O.W. Mueller; globalization and transnational crime - effects of criminogenic asymmetries, Nikos Passas; organizing transnational crime - networks, markets and hierarchies, Phil Williams; criminal fraternities or criminal enterprises?, Letizia Paoli; organized crime and ethnic minorities - is there a link?, Frank Bovenkerk; transnational Chinese organized crime activities - patterns and emerging trends, Ko-Lin Chin et al. Part 2 Criminal activities and markets: maritime fraud and piracy, Jayant Abhyankar; crime in cyberspace, P.N. Grabosky; the rise of the modern arms black market and the fall of supply-side control, R.T. Naylor; trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children, Livia Pomodoro. Part 3 Responding to transnational organized crime: trafficking in people - the human rights dimension, OHCHR; money laundering in Italy, Alessandro Pansa; strengthening the international legal system in order to combat transnational crime, Guiseppe di Gennaro; responding to transnational crime, Raymond E. Kendall; transnational organized crime and institutional reform in the European Union - the case of judicial cooperation, Cyrille Fijnaut; responding to transnational crime - the role of Europol, Emanuele Marotta; international atomic energy agency programme against illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and radioactive sources, Anita Nillson; strengthening cooperation against transnational crime - a new security imperative, Roy Godson and Phil Williams; drafting the United Nations Convention against transnational organized crime, Dimitri Vlassis.