Typologies within organized crime - Essay Example

? Typologies within organized crime 9 September Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction 2 Typologies of Criminal Groups 3 Russian Mobsters 3 Asian Criminal Rings 4 Italian Cosa Nostra 6 Balkan Organized Criminals 7 Other Organized Crime Groups 8 African groups 8 Middle Eastern organizations 8 Biker gangs 8 Conclusion 9 References 10 Introduction Mario Puzo’s The Godfather provides only one example of the typology of organized crime. This film illustrates organized crime, where a respected Italian patriarch heads a criminal organization that performs extortion and trades illegal services and products, and uses threats of violence to attain the complicity of its members and non-members and corruption to remove obstacles to its illegal businesses. Organized crime, however, is not that simple to classify. Its typology has been a subject of debate in the field of criminal and law studies, although the FBI (2012) presents a typology that has ethnic profiling categories. This typology, however, is not cleanly cut along racial lines and forms of criminal activities. This paper compares and contrasts various organized crime groups in terms of their demographics, gender, ethnicity, criminal and financial activities, and socio-political interests. Typologies of Criminal Groups According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (2012), organized crime in the U.S. can be divided according to dominant races or ethnicities. They are the following: Russian mobsters who fled to the U.S. in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse; Chinese tongs, Japanese Boryokudan, and other Asian crime rings; the Italian Cosa Nostra organizations; Balkan groups with links to Hungary and Romania; Middle Eastern groups with traditional criminal or terrorist links; groups from African countries, like Nigeria that engage in drug trafficking and financial scams; and biker gangs. Russian Mobsters Russian organized crimes (ROCs) are composed of any ethnic group that came from Russia, such as Armenian, Chechen, Jewish, and Ukrainian individuals (Abadinsky, 2010, p.232). These groups developed in the United States in the late 1970s and became more widespread after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 (Finklea, 2009, p.21). McMullin (2009) studied the interdependence between organized crime and conflict. Chechen groups, for instance, reinforced conflict in Kosovo through manufacturing and selling illegal goods (p.88). In addition, like other criminal organizations, Russian mobsters have legal business activities that they use to clean their dirty money, and some Russian mobsters are philanthropists (Finklea, 2009, p.21). Old style Russian criminals developed the culture of vor v zakone, which literally means a professional criminal with a good reputation in the underworld (Siegel, 2012, p.32). Like the Italian mafia, the vor v zakone has a code of conduct, or the ponyatiya, also called the “notions” (Siegel, 2012, p.32). Some of the rules of the code include not having their own families, having no emotions, not following Russian laws, and respecting and obeying the decision of their own court of thieves, among others (Siegel, 2012, p.33). Women are mostly victims in these Russian organizations, where they are trafficked for sexual exploitation (Siegel, 2012, p.32). The FBI now considers Russian mobs as the leading organized threat in the U.S. (Finklea, 2009, p.21). Russian organized crime groups have less conventional hierarchical structure than the Italian Cosa Nostra, and they recently create their networks, based on the skills needed to conduct their crimes (Finklea, 2009, p.21). In America, these Russian criminal organizations participate in traditional organized crimes, particularly kidnapping, human smuggling, prostitution, drug trafficking, and theft, as well as white-collar criminal activities, such as money laundering and different kinds of fraud (Finklea, 2009, p.21). The FBI noted that 60% of their cases concerning Russian organized crime have fraud components (Finklea, 2009, p.21). The kinds of fraud and scams that Russian criminals partake in intersect diverse industries from health care to strategic commodities (e.g., precious metals) to credit card, insurance, securities, and investment fraud (Finklea, 2009, p.21). Russian criminals also participate in scams, such as tax evasion and energy price rigging (Finklea, 2009, p.21). In “Organised Crime Groups in Cyberspace: A Typology,” Choo (2008) studied the rise of organized crimes in cyberspace. He mentioned Russian and Chinese syndicates that are involved in cybercrimes, including fraud and pornography (Choo, 2008, p.280). Thus, ROCs have a wide span of traditional and modern cybercrime activities. Asian Criminal Rings In Asian criminal rings, the term “Asian” includes numerous unrelated groups, similar to Russian organized groups, although Asian criminal rings generally refer to the yakuza, Triads, and tongs and their affiliated gangs (Abadinsky, 2010, p.229). The FBI stressed that the traditional Asian criminal groups include “Chinese triads from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau, and the Japanese Yakuza,” while the “less traditional groups include tongs, triads, and Asian street gangs such as the Big Circle and the Fuk Ching” (Finklea, 2009, p.23). Asian organized crime groups have concentrated their illegal businesses in drug trafficking, but they also participate in other criminal activities, such as money laundering, counterfeiting, and fraud, as well as kidnapping and stealing autos, software, and clothing (Finklea, 2009, p.23). The FBI stressed that “Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.” showed high incidence of Asian organized crime (Finklea, 2009, p.23). Like other criminal groups, Asian criminal syndicates evolved in terms of their criminal activities. Before the start of the Prohibition, Asian criminal gangs exploited mostly their own ethnic group, so they avoided law enforcement interventions (Abadinsky, 2010, p.228). Similar to Russian syndicates, Asian criminal organizations are increasingly becoming more willing to cooperate beyond racial and ethnic lines, if they will profit from it (Finklea, 2009, p.23). At present, Soudijn and Kleemans (2009) reported that Asian criminal gangs are also involved in human smuggling, which is differentiated from human trafficking (p.461). Human smuggling refers to illegal migration, and breaching immigration laws. It includes a sense of mutual consent between smugglers and illegal immigrants (Soudijn & Kleemans, 2009, p.461). On the contrary, human trafficking has the main subject of exploitation and violations of personal freedom (Soudijn & Kleemans, 2009, pp.461-462). Chinese gangs are also highly involved in importing synthetic drugs. China is the main source of vital ingredients for the manufacture of several synthetic drugs (Soudijn & Kleemans, 2009, p.462). PMK (piperonylmethylketon) is used for the manufacture of MDMA (ecstasy), and BMK (benzylmethylketon) for the making of amphetamine. PMK and BMK are usually describes as drug “precursors” (Soudijn & Kleemans, 2009, p.463). The making of PMK is almost entirely concentrated in China (Soudijn & Kleemans, 2009, p.463). BMK is also made in other Eastern-bloc countries, although Chinese BMK is known in the underworld as having higher quality (Soudijn & Kleemans, 2009, p.463). Italian Cosa Nostra Italian American criminals have their roots from the Mezzogiorno (Abadinsky, 2010, p.81). The Italian Mezzogiorno, which included sections that are south in Rome, Sardinia and Sicily, has always been poorer than other parts of the country. Most of them are Mafiosi, who were running away from Italian law enforcement and violent inter-gang conflicts (Abadinsky, 2010, p.81). During the late nineteen century, the Italian Mafia served sociopolitical interests of being the protector of their people (Johnson & Soeters, 2008, p.168). In particular, they guarded the peace and order of southern Italian territory (Johnson & Soeters, 2008, p.168). The present-day Mafia has two important developments: (1) its geographic spread went beyond Italy and included international links to Europe, North, South America, and Asia; (2) the addition of legitimate business activities (Johnson & Soeters, 2008, p.168). By the late 1970s and early 1980s, drug trafficking produced overwhelming profits, which were transferred into legitimate enterprises: “vacation resorts, restaurants, construction companies and transportation companies” (Johnson & Soeters, 2008, p.168). As for gender, like other criminal organizations, the LCN remains highly patriarchal (Jamieson, 2003, p.186). Women in the Mafia families do not partake in violent or decision-making activities (Jamieson, 2003, p.186). Nevertheless, their men tend to confide in them and revere them as the stereotypical “mother” or “mother of their children” (Jamieson, 2003, p.187). The La Cosa Nostra (LCN) is the most well-known Italian organized crime group working in America (Finklea, 2009, p.23). There are five principal crime families and they are Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno, Colombo, and Luchese (Finklea, 2009, p.23). The LCN conducts numerous illegal activities, including gambling, loan sharking, drug trafficking and money laundering (Finklea, 2009, p.23). They work mostly in the New York metropolitan area, but also do their criminal activities in Boston, Chicago, Newark, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Miami (Finklea, 2009, p.23). Balkan Organized Criminals The FBI stressed that Balkan and Albanian organized crime groups are some of the strongest organized crime groups nowadays, because of the increase in Albanian-born individuals apprehended in the United States (Finklea, 2009, p.24). Albanian organized crime groups developed in America in the late 1980s and changed from being close-knit families to recruiting outsiders with specific criminal skills (Finklea, 2009, p.24). Balkans are highly patriarchal and do not have prominent female members and leaders (Finklea, 2009, p.24). These groups actively operate in “New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Houston” (Finklea, 2009, p.24). Balkan crime groups have participated in illegal activities, namely “gambling, extortion, robbery, counterfeit currency, drug trafficking, human smuggling, real estate fraud, money laundering, witness intimidation, and murder” (Finklea, 2009, p.24). One of the trends of Balkan crime groups is an enlarged cooperation with other organized crime syndicates (Finklea, 2009, p.24). The FBI noted that the LCN collaborates with Albanian organized crime in New York. The FBI believed that the Cosa Nostra depends on the Albanians “as their enforcers, and the Albanians have increasingly taken over some turf there that was previously dominated by the LCN” (Finklea, 2009, p.24). Other Organized Crime Groups The federal government distinguishes threats from other organized crime groups that may not possess the same extent and influence as the LCN. These organizations mainly have male members and leaders. African groups African crime syndicates, and especially Nigerian groups, have activities in “heroin trafficking, money laundering, and fraud (including insurance, bank, auto, healthcare, identity, and document fraud)” (Finklea, 2009, p.24). Nigerian criminals are known for their scams, including online business scams (Finklea, 2009, p.24). Middle Eastern organizations Middle Eastern criminal enterprises are principally involved in traditional criminal activities, such as “organized theft, financial fraud, money laundering, and cigarette smuggling” (Finklea, 2009, p.24). Middle Eastern terrorist organizations are also present in the U.S., but with more ideological interests, particularly in destroying American power and influence (Abadinsky, 2010, p.7). Biker gangs Love for motorcycles and participation in criminal activities bind the members of biker gangs (Barker, 2011, p.207). American-based biker gangs, like Hells Angels, Bandidos, Outlaws, Mongols, Warlocks, Sons of Silence and Vagos, engage in organized criminal activities on national and international levels (Barker, 2011, p.208). Law enforcement authorities in nations that have these gangs, such as the Interpol, Europol and the United Nations, stressed that “the 1% motorcycle clubs in their jurisdictions are more gangs than clubs” (Barker, 2011, p.208). The patch or gang symbol that are on their “cut” or vest supports the conduct of their criminal activities (Barker, 2011, p.208). A previous secretary of the Hells Angels Oshawa Canada chapter, who was also a compensated police informant, gave a testimony that members want to be part of these gangs for the “power of the patch” which gives them “protection” when they conduct criminal activities (Barker, 2011, p.208). Patch holders also reimburse the club 10% of their criminal proceeds and donate monthly dues for a legal defense fund for members who face prosecution (Barker, 2011, p.208). A Brookville, Canada cocaine dealer confessed that Ontario Hells Angels Nomads chapter employed the “power of the patch” to bring together a “tax” from all drug dealers inside their territory (Barker, 2011, p.208). This extortion technique is widespread among criminal street gangs, prison gangs and traditional organized criminal groups (Barker, 2011, p.208). Conclusion The typology of organized crimes in the United States is presently divided according to ethnic and racial lines, although the division is not entirely clean. The Mafia, for instance, can be composed of whites and other ethnic groups. The main trends that are particular to these organized criminal groups are their rising interconnection with each other in local and national levels, their male leadership and membership, and their use of legitimate business to launder illegal revenues. They are also using the Internet to conduct cybercrimes, such as frauds and scams. Some of them have begun with socio-political interests that seek to undermine the authority of the countries where they come from, although nowadays, their main interests are the accumulation of power and wealth. All these organized criminal groups threaten the security and development of their local communities, nations, and the world at large. References Abadinsky, H. (2010). Organized crime (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Barker, T. (2011). American Based Biker Gangs: International organized crime. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 36 (3), 207-. Choo, K. (2008). Organised crime groups in cyberspace: A typology. Trends in Organized Crime, 11 (3), 270-295. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). (2012). Overview: About organized crime. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/organizedcrime/overview Finklea, K.M. (2009). Organized crime in the United States: Trends and issues for Congress. Journal of Current Issues in Crime, Law & Law Enforcement, 2 (1), 9-40. Jamieson, A. (2003). Mafiosi and terrorists: Italian women in violent organizations. In P.L. Griset & S. Mahan (Eds.), Terrorism in perspective (pp.182-190). California: SAGE. Johnson, H.N., & Soeters, J.L. (2008). Jamaican Dons, Italian Godfathers and the chances of a ‘Reversible Destiny.’ Political Studies, 56 (1), 166-19. McMullin, J. (2009). 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