How Worldwide Criminal Justice Systems Handled the Crime

Global Crimes Issue
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An emerging trend shows increasing forms of crime occurring across borders. The new trends pose a challenge to agencies that control crime such as police, courts and corrections agencies across the globe. The inception of transnational crimes and its impact involves more than one country. Some of the common transnational crimes include drug trafficking, trafficking in stolen property, counterfeiting, human trafficking, cybercrime and fraud, commercialized vices sex and gambling, racketeering, money laundering and corruption (Dammer & Albanese, 2011). Some forms of transnational crime are increasingly difficult to trace and stop due to the use of technology. It is particularly rampant for cybercrimes and other computer related fraudulent activities. Countries require vigilance to prevent their occurrence as well as cooperation in their investigation, prosecution and sentencing.
Transnational crimes are estimated cost to a minimum of 3.6 percent of the global economy. For example, the UN agency that deals with drugs and crime estimated that the cost of transnational crime is at 2.1 trillion including tax evasion and money laundering (Watson, 2014). It also indicates that money laundering accounts for two percent of gross domestic product losses in the global economy. Another report indicates that loss of life associated with drug trafficking is on the increase particularly in the western hemisphere countries such as Mexico. Others like counterfeit medicine result in greater health risks such as development of drug resistant virus strains and environmental crimes such as illegal logging have detrimental effects on the environment (Council on Foreign Relations, 2013).
Worldwide criminal justice systems such as the UN recognize that the scope of transnational crime requires global coordination of resources to address its root causes. The establishment on Drugs and Crime was created in 1997 to combat transnational crime issues such as terrorism, corruption and human trafficking (Watson, 2014). The UN has also successfully enacted international conventions that allow mutual investigation of crimes across borders in detecting and punishing transnational criminals. There is a successful specific country cooperation between Guatemala and the UN. The cooperation has successfully assisted the country to investigate, prosecute and judge transnational criminals and the associated corrupt enablers. Relinquishing such powers presents opportunities for success in other parts of the world to combat transnational crimes while empowering the domestic legal systems to no longer require UN support in the future (Council on Foreign Relations, 2013).
The criminal justice system to combat some forms of transnational crimes also involves civil society. For example, since tackling environmental crimes such as poaching and illegal logging through enforcement is challenging there is need to engage a multifaceted approach. The civil society raises awareness through viral networks such as face book and twitter as well as e-petitions. Such measures appreciate the fact that a purely law enforcement approach is insufficient. Many environmental enforcement agencies lack sophisticated resources and equipment and are continuously threatened by funding. Scores also lack investigative powers to enforce arrests and launch advanced investigations. Seizures of environmental products are one of the ways in which the criminal justice system succeeds in addressing environmental crime. It prevents similar trafficking in the future. This is largely reactive investigation and countries require investing financial and institutional support for long term surveillance as part of pro-active investigations (The Global Against Transnatioinal Crime, 2014).
In 2012, the FBI uncovered an organized cyber crime group consisting of twenty-four people that operated in thirteen countries. The criminals had credit card hacking operations in Bosnia, UK, US among other nations (Voris & Hurtado, 2012). The FBI engaged in an international enforcement action of stolen cards and financial information trafficking in a two-year undercover operation. Joshua Hicks and Islam were among the first persons that the FBI arrested. The FBI had used an undercover website called Carder Profit to trap cyber criminals. It was used as a meeting place and the FBI used the platform to investigate, identify and disrupt their activities. The two cohorts in the cyber crime activity sold stolen credit cards to other cyber criminals and Hicks sold to one of the undercover FBI officials at one juncture. The FBI website provided an avenue where cyber criminals would discuss ways of stealing credit and debit cards and share that information. The FBI would track their discussion using their IP addresses and transact with the criminals using their agents. The criminals also engaged in other activities such as selling virus to assume control of other’s computers. The FBI operation prevented losses amounting to $205 from both credit and debit cards (Voris & Hurtado, 2012).
The FBI led the investigations and collaborated with in a bid to ensure enforcement of arrests and prose...