Transnational Organized Crime Summary of a Workshop (1999) / Chapter Skim
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4 Enforcement
4 Enforcement
Pages 28-39
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From page 28... ...
And the problems of definition, complexity, and measurement we have discussed lead many law enforcement and policy officials to see transnational crime as an intractable issue. he potential for grave harm to national security from transnational Workshop participants agreed, however, that putting the problem of transnational organized crime in perspective means that most of these activities are something less than a major threat to national security and fragile democracies around the globe.
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From page 29... ...
NEED FOR COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIPS The development of transnational police cooperation is an increasingly common response strategy to transnational organized crime. Cooperation is framed through high-level bilateral and multilateral assistance treaties with other nations.
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From page 30... ...
Numerous previous narcotics investigations had involved both Italy and the United States, but prosecutions were usually brought in only one country, and the vast differences in the two countries' legal systems led to competition rather than cooperation (Martin, 19981.1 In the 1980s organized crime groups in Italy became stronger through a series of activities, including the murder of high officials (including the chief prosecutor of Palermo) ; violent infighting among Mafia factions, resulting in many deaths; and the development of political coalitions designed to keep the Communists out of power.
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From page 31... ...
embassy in Rome. These included agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, the Customs Service, Internal Revenue Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, multiple military investigative agencies, and a former federal prosecutor representing the attorney general (Nadelmann, 19931.
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From page 32... ...
In Russia, for example, the weakness of the state after the fall of communism has provided opportunities for organized crime and corruption. The unprecedented process of privatizing previously nationalized property, businesses, and institutions created an advantage for Russian criminals, who had amassed certain resources and capabilities originating from black market operations during the days of the Communist regime.
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From page 33... ...
Other potential barriers are the presence of endemic corruption; the level of nationalism; whether treaties governing law enforcement processes can be negotiated; and whether domestic policy objectives conflict with the development of common law enforcement goals (Martin, 19981. Workshop participants discussed American-style law enforcement as a barrier to cooperation, noting that some countries object to American methods of undercover work that has the potential for entrapment (e.g.,
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From page 34... ...
As a major point of potential contact between transnational crimes and official law enforcement, investigations often begin with Customs. Participants noted that organizational rivalry and friction frequently arise between police investigators and Customs officials at international borders, citing examples on the German-French border and the U.S.-Mexican and U.S.-Canadian borders.
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From page 35... ...
PROBLEMS FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT Participants noted that attempting to clear with transnational crime at the local level highlights the weaknesses of traditional police work. Local law enforcement generally is organized to respond to complaints of incliviclual citizens or small groups in the community that have been harmed by crime clirectly.
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From page 36... ...
Smugglers hide their illegal profits by engaging in a legal activity, such as wiring money to offshore accounts or investing in legitimate businesses. Many frauds exploit opportunities created by legitimate economic behavior by mimicking acceptable legal behavior, such as the filing of health insurance claims.
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From page 37... ...
Workshop participants noted that recent work on problem-solving policing and the disruption of drug markets shows some promise, although the disruption is to physical marketplaces for the most part rather than the markets themselves. In the end, local, federal, and international agencies may be effective in disrupting transnational markets only if they act cooperatively, rather than singly or in competition with one another, and only if they are able to devise creative prevention and deterrence strategies to complement traditional enforcement activities.
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From page 38... ...
Task forces can provide a structure for pooling resources ancl information ancl for the development of guidelines for interagency cooperation in complex cases. Many law enforcement agencies view task forces with skepticism, however.
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From page 39... ...
between federal and local levels of government. However, given the limited capacities and authority of local law enforcement agencies to fully investigate these matters, their role must be carefully thought out.
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