globalisation and crime

Question 1

held and McGrew on globalisation

Answer 1

argue that Globalisation involved the process of deterritorialisation. This means that an increasing number of transnational companies are stretched across the globe. Faster communication, travel and technology like the internet have made national borders irrelevant. With globalisation, the world has become a single territory for both legal and illegal trade.

Question 2

crime is possible because of globalisation

Answer 2

Maritime Piracy – mostly off the coast of Somalia (typically oil tankers whose captain and crews are taken hostage for a ransom).
Bullough (2018) Money laundering is mainly centred around the UK, as is tax evasion. However, corporate crime is fluid and moves around the world

Question 3

the global criminal economy

Answer 3

Globalisation and the growth of transnational companies working across legal jurisdictions have led to greater opportunities for corporate crime, including money laundering, tax avoidance, illegal waste disposal and illegal employment practices.
Like companies, criminal networks have formed or have extended as a result of globalisation. For example, international credit card fraud networks extend all over the world.

Question 4

castells, the global criminal economy

Answer 4

Castells (2010) argues we now have a global criminal economy worth an estimated £1 trillion per annum!

Question 5

globalisation, human traffacking (taylor)

Answer 5

The buying and selling of people for exploitation is prolific. People are smuggled illegally from one part of the world to another. The people trafficked are used for slavery, prostitution and sexual exploitation, forced labour and sometimes even for organs.

Question 6

globalisation, illegal drug trading (taylor)

Answer 6

The trade of illegal drugs is increasingly globalised as drug smugglers operate across national boundaries. According to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2013) and European crime-fighting agency Europol, the annual global drugs trade is worth around $435 billion a year. This represents nearly 1 per cent of total global trade. Countries such as Colombia have struggled to stop powerful drug cartels from producing and supplying drugs: their wealth and influence are considerable

Question 7

globalisation, crimes connected to the new technology

Answer 7

Cybercrime refers to crimes related to the internet and computers which have become possible over the past few decades. Since the internet is comparatively new and widespread it has been very difficult for law keeping agencies to police and regulate. This includes crimes such as identity theft, computer theft, fraud and phishing as well as abuse against people such as children through exploitation. Although strategies are now in place to deal with many of these crimes, many continue to go undetected. There have been notable examples of high-level corruption such as the misuse of computer software by security agencies who have gained access to people’s private internet accounts without their consent.

Question 8

globalisation, containerisation/ container crime

Answer 8

transportation of illegal goods/ people via shipping containers. The sheer volume of global trade makes it impossible to inspect all containers and gangs will also bribe ports/ port officials to pass containers through without inspection. UN statistics show that an estimated 500 million containers are transported annually around the world with only about 2% inspected at various stages of the shipment, which allows an opportunity for smuggling of weapons, drugs and other contraband. To mitigate such crime, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) initiated a Container Control Programme (CCP) in 2005. This programme provides a platform for all nations involved in trade to cooperate in fighting crime related to container traffic by involving entities such as Customs, the police and port authorities. Crime prevention is managed through exchange of information, ensuring all personnel involved are trained to the same standards and follow a standardised approach. The figures for cargo theft are estimated to be around US$30 billion per year and are forecast to continue to increase by 8% every year. The typical locations for this type of crime are at ports, terminals or during road or rail transport.

Question 9

slapper and tombs on global corporate crime

Answer 9

shows how corporate crime has increased due to globalisation. There are several types of corporate crime. For each, explain what it is, give an example, and then discuss how it might have increased due to globalisation

Question 10

corporate crime, lack of compliance with health and safety

Answer 10

when business owners fail to meet legal requirements to keep staff/ customers free of harm/ injury. Harold of free enterprise (1987) killing 193 passengers

Question 11

corporate crime, environmental (green) crime

Answer 11

when the actions of a cooperation damage the environment either intentionally or through negligence. bhopal, leaked poison gas 22,000 deaths. deep water horizon oil spill

Question 12

corporate crime, manufacturing offences

Answer 12

production of goods which don’t meet legal requirements, unsafe falsely advertised. ford pinto, kept exploding but found it was cheaper to pay out victims than fix the cars

Question 13

corporate crime, labour offences

Answer 13

when corporations ignore workers rights. dangerous work environment paying below minimum wage. Primark 2017 made to pay for their uniform
apple factories in China lack of care for the well being of the workers leading to increased suicide

Question 14

corporate crime, unfair trade practices

Answer 14

involves breaking the law through the way a compony trades. the victim in these crimes is usually the customer
price fixing 2007

Question 15

corporate crime, financial offences

Answer 15

when cooperation go against the law relating to fanatical situations.
Enron, concealed debt losing large investments

Question 16

reasons for the underrepresentation of corporate crimes

Answer 16

-hidden from view and hard to detect
-lack individual victims
-benefit both parties
-hard to investigate
-lack awareness that a crime had occurred
-lower levels of prosecution

Question 17

transnational organised crime

Answer 17

Castells argues that globalisation has created transnational networks of organised crime which operate in many countries and employ millions of workers and will often work in collusion with corrupt state official and legitimate businesses

Question 18

farr on the global criminal network; established mafias

Answer 18

like the Italian American Mafia, the Japanese Yakuza and the Chinese Triads, which have very long, established careers in the criminal global economy. They are often characterised around family, ethnicity or local connections. They have adapted and changed their organisations and activities in order to profit from the new opportunities that globalisation has provided.

Question 19

farr on global criminal network; newer organised crime groups

Answer 19

which have emerged since the advent of globalisation and the collapse of Communism in Russia and Eastern Europe. These newer groups include Albanian crime groups, the Colombian drug cartels and the Russian Mafia which connect to one another and form a network of transnational organised crime.

Between them, these organisations control much of the world’s international criminal activities as well as operating a range of legal businesses funded by the money-laundered profits of their criminal activities.