Globalization In The Rise Of Transnational Organized Crimes

Significance of Globalization in the Rise of Transnational Organized Crimes Institution: Course: Name: Date: Significance of Globalization in the Rise of Transnational Organized Crimes Globalization involves the integration of international systems that facilitate the exchange of products, ideas, views, and other sociocultural aspects across the world. Technological advancements in both transportation and communication services have greatly influenced the adoption of globalization over the years. As a result, globalization has created a path for conducting international transactions such as communication, travel, finance, and trade. Countries that have significantly embraced globalization benefits from the interdependent cultural and economic growth opportunities in the long-term. However, globalization also facilitates criminal and illegal activities involving multiple nations. Over the last few decades, the rate of technological developments and international interactions has tremendously increased. Consequentially, international governance and law enforcement entities find it difficult to cope with the changes thus creating room for diversification and internationalization of criminal activities and businesses. Today, transnational organized crimes are rampant even in their macroeconomic dimensions and take the forms of fraud and cybercrime, organized crime gangs and insurgency, trafficking and marketing of illegal and counterfeit goods across continents, human trafficking, money laundering and piracy among other crimes. Despite the threats presented by these vices, less has been addressed regarding transnational criminal activities and trends in a global point of view. The paper discusses various ways through which globalization has promoted the rise of transnational organized crimes in the recent past. In this case, transnational organized crimes are crimes planned and executed in multiple nations and usually coordinated by groups of individuals by means of systematic violence or corruption or both in their illegal business ventures. Discussion According to McCarthy, globalization is characterized by capital and investment movement, trade-related transactions, migrations, and exchange of information. These aspects of globalization result in the development of social and economic networks with international links. In this perspective, globalization involves social relations networks made up of localities that are far away from each other, and the conditions or events in one locality influences those of the other and vice versa. Therefore, globalization influences and can be influenced by the economic and sociocultural organization, business and work transactions, and other aspects of natural environment across the globe. Different regions and sub-regions are characterized by varying and distinctive economic and sociocultural proportions. Therefore, the relationship between a nation and globalization varies from one region to the other. The increased inequality and disparities in nations around the world can be attributed to the effects of globalization. It is the inequalities that compel people to participate in the illegal market transaction and joining organized crimes in their attempt to cope with the situations or achieve a better life.[McCarthy, Dennis MP. An economic history of organized crime: A national and transnational approach. Routledge, 2011.] [Ghosh, Arghya, Peter E. Robertson, and Marie‐Claire Robitaille. "Does globalisation affect crime? theory and evidence." The World Economy 39, no. 10 (2016): 1482-1513.] Various parts of the world have been marginalized, impoverished, and full of political-related due to the disruptive effects of globalization. Transformation of sociocultural structures and imposition of restrictive immigration policies are also common in these regions. When life becomes unbearable, individuals from developing nations tend to fight for desired opportunities and to gain heavily at the expense of other members of the community or by risking their lives. In either way, these are illegal ventures that often push individuals to look for organized criminals to help them achieve their desires. They believe that organized criminal groups are knowledgeable about the system and offer some shield against its advances. Such phenomena are rampant in countries with intense immigration policies. Organized criminals providing services tend to use their powers to abuse and financially exploit those who seek their assistance which can be termed as an illegal and clandestine venture. The extreme of such exploitation is the modern-day slavery, commonly referred to as human trafficking.[Rollins, John. International terrorism and transnational crime: Security threats, US policy, and considerations for Congress. DIANE Publishing, 2010.] Several cases of human trafficking from Africa to Europe and from Latin America to North America have been reported. They mostly involve trafficking of illegal immigrants to their countries of desire. Immigrants’ hope of finding ways to improve their living standards push them into giving out whatever it takes to reach their dream foreign countries. Although the Mexican and Spanish speaking communities in the United States are mostly immigrants, they tend to powerfully exploit other smaller immigrant communities to quench their thirst for better livelihood. Majority of the Mexican immigrants in the United States are undocumented because they were illegally smuggled in the country with the help of organized smugglers and thus evading immigration barriers including the high restrictions at the U.S. borders. Human smuggling from Africa to Europe countries is relatively lower compared to the American migration. These can be attributed to the challenges they might encounter while in transit to Europe and other economic factors that reduced migrant trafficking, especially after the global economic recession. Unlike the Latin America to North America migrant trafficking, Africa to Europe immigration is due to both push and pull factors. Sexual exploitation has been the main reason in trafficking women especially from Eastern Europe. But trafficking of women for sexual exploitation has declined since the end of the Cold War.[United Nations Office on Drugs, and Crime. The Globalization of Crime [electronic Resource]: A Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment. United Nations Publications, 2010.] Illegal drugs’ market is currently huge and still growing across the world. Each country has several neighborhoods that are notoriously engaged in trading drugs. Cocaine and heroin are common illegal drugs traded on a global scale. Afghanistan remains the number one global supplier of opium poppy used in the manufacturing of heroin while the Andean region dominates in cocaine supply. Whether in their bulk or small quantities, these drugs find their way to other countries or even continents through travel and trade routes. In most cases, major drug markets are operated and controlled by cartels who often terrorize residents and even local authorities who are threats to their business operations. Acts of violence and corruption are common in drugs markets. Other than being illegal, drugs earn a lot of money that ends up funding other crimes including terrorism and purchase of illegal arms. Globalization allows global traveling and trade networks that facilitate frequent mass movement of people and goods from one country to others in the various continents in the world. Visa regimes are less restrictive while air tickets are affordable than before thus expanding global tourism. But alongside these international movements are trafficked items ranging from firearms, drugs, environmental resources, and counterfeit goods. Increased international movement and advanced communication networks facilitate crimes such as maritime piracy and cybercrime that threaten global peace and developments.[Passas, Nikos. "Cross-border crime and the interface between legal and illegal actors." Security Journal 16, no. 1 (2003): 19-37.] Criminals and their related organizations have been taking advantage of the forces of globalization to grow roots in almost every aspect of the global community. They have taken advantage of the current world environment to promote their criminal activities. Some of the globalization aspects that allow thriving and growth of transnational crimes include deregulation in global trade, technological advancement, increased mobility of people, social networks and absence of international cooperation and a legal framework for addressing transnational crimes as discussed in the following sections. Although globalization enhances international trade and promotes economic development across the world, regulation of global trade is yet to be realized. There exists no well-defined and legally binding policies regarding international conduct in global markets. These create a loophole for transnational organized criminals such as traffickers and smugglers enhance their attendant crimes and profit-making adventures. Similarly, there have been weaknesses in regulating global financial systems for decades. With all these loopholes, money gained through illegal and criminal activities are easily laundered. Most international illegal activities go unchecked due to poor mechanisms for regulating and controlling attempts of unlawful engagements. Unfortunately, effective mechanisms are yet to be implemented. Criminals in the international scene proceed with their illicit practices and also finance terrorists, warlords, and insurgents without any meaningful intervention from international communities.[Beare, Margaret E., ed. Critical reflections on transnational organized crime, money laundering and corruption. University of Toronto Press, 2003.] Similar to global trade, technological advancement is an important aspect of globalization. There are numerous technologies that have been invented for end-user convenience in their intended positive uses but they can also be used for criminal purposes. Execution of transnational crimes requires a lot of planning and coordination due to location differences between the participants. Crimes across multiple nations are conducted alongside legit international trade and are facilitated by technological advancements in both transport and communication infrastructures such as mobile phones and internet. It is therefore easy to conduct business-related communications and transactions with ease. With access to such technologies, criminal organizations are able to carry out their activities with much ease without location inconveniences. Some of them even have access to sophisticated communication gadgets that surpasses those of government units, thus difficult to trace their proceedings. Most people find internet as the best platform for seeking assistance from transnational gangs and money transfers. Previous studies indicate that most radicalized groups and criminal gangs recruit new members through the internet. Authorities find it difficult to control such vices as child pornography, exchange of adult contents to underage children, soliciting customers for drugs and illegal arms as well as...