Organised Crime

Question 1

What are the key readings?

Question 2

What is the criteria for organised crime?

Answer 2

Contains at least three people;
Criminal activity is prolonged or indefinite;
Criminals are motivated by profit or power;
Serious criminal offences are being committed (such as violence)

Question 3

What is category A?

Answer 3

Drug trafficking (class A)
Excise fraud (tobacco, alcohol, fuel)
VAT fraud
Organised immirgration crime

Question 4

What is category B?

Answer 4

Drug trafficking (class B)
Child pornography and paedophilia
Organised vehicle theft
Counterfeiting (monetary instruments)

Question 5

What is category C?

Answer 5

Art and antique theft
Benefit fraud
Environmental crime
Counterfeiting (intellectual property theft

Question 6

What had the highest impact?

Answer 6

Drugs (13600)

Question 7

What are the statistics for organised crime in the UK?

Answer 7

Organised crime related offences are responsible for costs of approx. £80 bn per annum.
Drug trafficking - 30 percent of total.

Question 8

What are the media factors of organised crime?

Answer 8

Organised immigration crime - 33 percent of all articles.
Drug trafficking next - 27 percent.
(Just over two thirds of these articles related to Class A drugs, with just under one third relating to Class B.)

Question 9

What are the variables in the Sicilian Mafia?

Answer 9

2007 estimates put Mafia turnover at: $128 billion (7 percent of Italy’s GDP)
80% of businesses in some cities pay protection money

Question 10

What is the growth of organised crime from 1990 to 1996?

Answer 10

785 to 8000 gangs

Question 11

What is the Russian mafia?

Answer 11

50000 companies controlled by OC
60% of state-owned companies.
Accounts for 40 percent of Russian GNP
(cannot be separated from economy at this stage)
Foreign companies are paying up to 20% of profits to organised crime rackets

Question 12

What is the economic impact of organised crime in Russia?

Answer 12

50000 companies controlled by OC
60% of state-owned companies.
Accounts for 40 percent of Russian GNP
(cannot be seperated from economy at this stage)
Foreign companies are paying up to 20% of profits to organised crime rackets

Question 13

What are features of Russian organised crime?

Answer 13

Systematic use of violence (and threats)
Hierarchical structure
Limited/exclusive membership
Specialisation in types of crime
Division of Labour
Military style discipline
Possesses high tech equipment and military weapons