COMBATTING ORGANISED CRIME

UNIT 13 COMBATTING ORGANISED CRIME Discuss with a partner. 1. What is organised crime? 2. How serious is the threat to democracy posed by organised crime? 3. Can organised crime be defeated through a government’s tough laws? 4) Which are the main activities of organised crime? And the main transnational gangs? 5) Can you give some examples of illicit drugs? 6) What are the most crucial aspects in effectively preventing corruption? 7) Which are the areas related to organised crime that demand the attention of governments? Exercise 1 Fighting Global Crime Put the words given into the correct places in the following statements. will perceptions provide insufficient temporary backed faster implications heavily arises 1. Transnational crime has grown ______________than international law enforcement capabilities. 2. Transnational crime thrives on ________________ alliances and shifting networks between criminal entrepreneurs. 3. Law enforcement relies ______________on formal agreements between governments and national police forces. 4. The effectiveness of bodies such as Interpol and the Europol depends on the political ______________ of participating nations. 5. There is no global police force and _____________ cooperation between national crime fighters. 6. States want complete control of their security services and democracies worry about the __________________ for civil liberties of global policing. 7. Inequalities in wealth – partly due to the opening of borders in Eastern Europe _____________ opportunities for both amateur smugglers and organised crime. 8. Globalisation and technology have changed ________________ of territorial control. 9. Criminals stealing money electronically may have no physical presence in the country where the cash is stolen or deposited. The question _______________: where was the crime committed and whose jurisdiction should apply? 10. U.N. conventions are helpful but do little to combat crime unless they are ______________ by credible international enforcement. Exercise 2 Match the following verbs with their corresponding definitions: 1 – to thrive on (sth.) a) to start something such as a business, organisation or institution 2 – to bring down b) to enter by force, especially to steal something 3 – to break into c) to find something or meet someone by accident 4 – to stumble on (sb./sth) d) to put someone in prison (or a mental hospital) 5 – to put away e) to be successful or happy in a particular situation, perhaps even one that other people would not enjoy 6 - to set up f) to cause a government or politician to lose power; to reduce the rate, level or amount of something Discuss with a partner the aspects of fighting global crime outlined above. Exercise 3 The Mafia – the original organised crime group! Listen to the text and say whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE or NOT STATED 1. The name “mafia” is mainly associated with Italy but has become a general term for organised gangsterism. 2. The Fascists under Mussolini supported the Mafia. 3. “Bootlegging” was the term given to illegal smuggling of migrants in to the USA. 4. Mafia control and power spread into the US armed forces, infiltrating the army especially. 5. The Mafia was involved in many rackets but avoided drugs for moral reasons. 6. The FBI under J.Edgar Hoover recognised the threat to society from organised crime at a very early stage. 7. The Mafia changed their operations from local rackets to national and transnational activities. 8. The Mafia has always remained an exclusively Italian/Sicilian based partnership. Activity 1 Translate into English Mafia este o lume logică, raţională, funcţională şi implacabilă. Mult mai logică, mai raţională şi mai implacabilă decât statul. Mafia este o articulaţie a puterii, o metamorfoză a puterii, dar şi a patologie a puterii. Mafia este un sistem economic, o componentă obligatorie a sistemului economic global. Mafia se dezvoltă datorită statului şi îşi adaptează comportamentul în funcţie de acesta. Activity 2 Comment on Louise Shelley’s assertion: “Organised crime will be a defining issue of the 21 st century as the Cold War was for the 20 th century and colonialism was for the 19 th century”. These ideas may help you. Organised crime vast profits/ instability/ human weakness/ speed of communication/ “white-collar criminals/ corrupt governments/ built on poverty/ exploit greed and power Cold war Control of information/ climate of fear/ mutual distrust/ image of the “enemy”/ “superpowers only”- other countries mainly onlookers Colonialism exploitation/ benefit to whom? / notion of dominance/ legacy of colonialism/ mentalities Exercise 4 Fill in the gaps with one of the following words: social phenomena effects growth policies network weak global civil issues 1. Transnational organized crime and corruption are now acknowledged as high-priority . that need more attention and creative solutions. 2. These growing phenomena present a formidable challenge to international law, … society and both political and business communities. 3. They have a negative impact on the global political economy, and disproportionately negative on transitional and developing countries. 4. Those most severely impacted are the less privileged, particularly women, children, small businesses, entrepreneurs and minorities, and those not part of the . of corruption. 5. Other serious impacts are decreased trade and investment, policy distortion, less transparency and accountability, and reduced funding for key services at the national and local level. 6. The net result of systemic crime and corruption is a civil society incapable of supporting a market-based democratic form of government. 7. It also results in unsound budgetary . that under-invest in the fundamental needs and rights of citizens, such as basic healthcare, property ownership, quality education, public safety, a clean environment and fundamental human rights, including free speech and a free press. 8. Systemic corruption often leads to crime and corruption activities, which then becomes a problem for the world community. 9. The transnational crime and corruption center (TraCCC) and United Research Centers (URC) provide an international, multi-disciplinary forum in which to address and attack the complex relating to organized crime and corruption . 10. Each mutually-supporting activity of the Centers also promotes international cooperation, economic , good governance, the rule of law and a vibrant civil society. Cigarette sellers in Kosovo Exercise 5 Read the following excerpts on organized crime and decide which of the following headlines is appropriate for each of them. 1. MONEY LAUNDERING 7. CRIME: CASH: “LEGITIMACY” 2. WHITE – COLLAR CRIMINALS 8. ANSWERING MARKET DEMAND 3. THE GLOBAL FLESH TRADE 9. THE NEW WORLD DISORDER 4. CAUGHT UP IN CORRUPTION 10. GANG STRUCTURE 5. REWARDS OF THE DRUGS TRADE 6. RIVALRY FOR THE TOP JOBS A. “Where western governments worry about the insidious power of criminal gangs, some countries with less developed democracies have governments which practise a form of super-organized crime – looting the national wealth for the benefit of family and friends. The line between gangsters and dictators may be hard to distinguish. And even western politicians can sometimes get trapped in the organised crime net. The temptation to turn a blind eye in return for massive financial reward is a human weakness not restricted to poor undemocratic countries. B. One of the striking features of modern organised crime is that some gangs continue to operate effectively even when their leaders are killed or put in jail. This is an indication of very sophisticated organisational structures. However, the notion of global crime groups with formally constituted management “pyramids” is probably misguided. C. Clearly, however, the loss of gang leaders may cause great disruption of activities, especially if rival contenders begin killing each other for the top positions. D. Organised crime offers such vast profits that new gangs appear as soon as old ones are put away. The anomalies of the global marketplace - rich alongside poor; wide variations in national laws and regulations and the price of goods (such as petrol, cigarettes and alcohol); legal bans on goods or services in wide demand (such as drugs, gambling or prostitution); and the wide availability of arms in the post-Cold War environment – offer numerous opportunities to organised crime. E. According to the UN, the drugs trade alone is reckoned to generate revenue of $ 400 billion a year. Such huge sums make it possible for the traffickers to bribe almost anyone in their path. The nature of operations has changed too, with numerous gangs operating across borders and using advanced technology (such as encrypted computers) to pursue and conceal their activities. The weaponry available to some of these groups is of paramilitary grade. No form of potential market is ignored, nothing is taboo. F. “The scale of the profits from drug trafficking and other activities of organised crime is such that it requires complex international banking arrangements. The proceeds of most crime come in cash, whereas most commercial transactions are conducted by paper (cheques, bank drafts etc.) or plastic card. Turning “dirty money” into clean money (laundering) has thus become a major industry of its own. G. Cash can be laundered by simply passing it through a legitimate cash-based activity such as gambling (racecourses, casinos, etc.), sports stadia (turnstile receipts, food and drink sales, etc.); or the entertainment business (restaurants, hotels, nightclubs etc.). These money-laundering advantages do much to explain the popularity of cash businesses with organised crime, especially since such businesses are often lucrative in their own right. H. The Internet has made the distribution of pornographic material a global industry, offering the most bizarre sexual entertainment at the push of a few keys. Much of the trade is linked to organised crime, which has a long history of peddling sex through prostitution and pornography. Whereas the traditional sex industry operated with cash and anonymity, Internet sales rely on credit cards and e-mails- thus giving sophisticated gangs a pathway into new forms of exploitation through credit card extortion and blackmail. Many brothels are controlled by organised crime, especially in large cities. One of the ugliest aspects of this business is the increasing number of young women who are forced through poverty, drug addiction or physical intimidation to embark upon a life of prostitution against their will. I. The common theme of most criminal activities is the fulfilment of a strong market demand which cannot be met by legitimate business – because it is unethical, illegal, or too costly. Organised crime also searches for weaknesses in government or business systems so that cash payments can be diverted. East European gangs, long stifled by communism, have turned out to be especially good at this. For example, Russian emigrants living in the USA devised lucrative scams in gasoline taxes and health care payments – more sophisticated forms of organised crime than the traditional activities of extortion, loan-sharking gambling and prostitution. J. Society is much kinder to white-collar criminals who steal millions in financial fraud than to bank robbers who threaten the cashier and run off with a few thousand. Physical violence upsets the citizenry far more than corporate theft. A petty crook is scorned, while a millionaire fraudster may consort with princes. These oddities of human ethics have enabled some very big crooks to move in the corridors of power. As long as the “dirty business” is kept out of sight, all is well. Exercise 6 The Borderless World Match the two halves of the sentences to make a continuous text. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 D 1. Rich countries have increasingly tougher controls on immigration … 2. Even well-intentioned governments can open new opportunities for organised crime … 3. Differences in national taxes on cigarettes and alcohol …. 4. Smugglers provide 10% of the cigarettes sold in UK… 5. Once shopkeepers, pub or bar-owners begin to take cut-price supplies … 6. Even the world of medicine is affected by the tentacles of organised crime … 7. Controlling environmental pollution seems a positive feature of modern government… 8. In New York, even until the mid 1990s … 9. In the developing world where the majority of the people are extremely poor … 10. Some gangsters even become “legitimate” politicians … A. … costing the government about US$ 1.3 billion per year. B. … provide the impetus for large-scale smuggling operations. C. … it is difficult to escape back into legality. D. … yet different standards of living create increased pressures to migrate. E. … the Mafia controlled the clothing industry, freight transportation, garbage handling and other everyday activities. F. … as has happened in Russia, Central Asia and South and Latin America. G. … gangs find willing recruits for their activities. H. … by having big price differences for consumer products between neighbouring countries. I. … with illegal abortion and even the trade in human organs in the hands of organised crime. J. … but organised crime controls illicit importation of prohibited chemicals and the illicit transport of toxic or nuclear waste. Activity 3 Southeast European Cooperative Initiative Read about SECI which is a multi-national agreement with collaboration between law enforcement authorities in Romania and several other countries in South Eastern Europe to fight organised, transnational crime. The SECI Mission is: To support common trans-border crime fighting efforts of SECI participating countries in order to improve the business environment in South-Eastern Europe and make it more attractive for investors, with the declared aim of reaching economic and political stability within the region. Why do these aims have a business, social and political angle as well as a law- enforcement one? How much do you think business investment depends on social and political stability? Exercise 7 The Main Focus of the SECI Centre Now complete the text about SECI with an appropriate adjective or past-participle selected from the box. The first letter(s) have been given to make it a bit easier! called/ seconded / supported / filtered harmonized/ realized/ composed of / trafficked mounted/coordinated /initiated The Center has an operational framework consisting of Liaison Officers, (1) se__________________ by police and customs from each member country who are (2) su__________________ by a national office. The national office, again consisting of police and customs representatives is (3) c_________________ the National Focal Point. It has the responsibility of providing (4) h___________________ and (5) f ______________ final information or data to the Liaison Officer at the Center. The exchange of information between the Liaison Officer at the SECI Center and its corresponding National Focal Point Office is (6) r_____________________ on the basis of different kinds of requests and depending on the requirements of the different countries’ operative activity. The main operational tools are the Task Forces, which are (7) c________________ specialized teams of representatives from different countries, (8) c____________________ by one of the member countries. For every Task Force, there is a different member country acting as the coordinator of the Task force in question. Under these Task Forces, if there is information about a particular case, which may involve several of the countries participating in that Task Force, and if the case is of interest to several countries, an operation is (9) m _____________. In 2001, four such actual operations were (10) i_________________ , two concerning human beings being (11) t____________________, one concerning drugs trafficking and one concerning commercial frauds and trafficking in cigarettes. Activity 4 Read the text and translate the underlined items into English Seful traficantilor de cocaina din Timisoara - achitat si eliberat de vicepresedintele Tribunalului Timis Justitia din Timis a dovedit ieri, inca o data, (1) faptul ca legea nu reprezinta altceva decat un lucru de care se poate face abstractie atunci cand interesele o cer. Ieri, Tribunalul Timis (2) a dat sentinta in cazul cunoscut in presa sub numele de cod "Tabla de sah". Va reamintim ca, in 6 iunie a.c., (3) o ampla operatiune a ofiterilor din cadrul Centrului Zonal de Combatere a Crimei Organizate si Antidrog Timisoara s-a soldat cu cea mai mare captura de cocaina din Romania inregistrata in acest an - 2,03 kg, echivalentul a aproximativ 20.000 de doze, (4) a caror valoare de piata este de 6 miliarde de lei. Patru traficanti au fost arestati, iar (5) al cincilea a fost dat in urmarire internationala, fiind disparut fara urma. Dosarul a ajuns la Tribunalul Timis, cauza fiind judecata de vicepresedintele acestei institutii, Ioan Jivan. (6) La finalul audierilor, judecatorul a amanat de mai multe ori pronuntarea sentintei. Ieri, aceasta a fost facuta publica. Gage Olimpiu, Bot Walter, Mladenovici Dumitru si Bachici Miodrag au fost condamnati la 14 ani de inchisoare pentru trafic cu droguri de mare risc. Cu toate acestea, in mod suspect, (7) judecatorul l-a achitat pe cel dovedit a fi capul retelei, Alexa Claudiu, de 24 de ani, cetatean roman cu domiciliul in Canada. In timpul anchetei, unul dintre cei arestati, Bot, a recunoscut, inclusiv in fata instantei, ca drogurile pe care trebuia sa le vanda le-a primit de la Alexa. De asemenea, listingurile telefonice au dovedit faptul ca, inainte de momentul tranzactiei celor doua kilograme de cocaina, Alexa a tinut in permanenta legatura pe telefonul mobil cu Gage. (8) Alexa a fost retinut de politistii antidrog in comuna Giroc, acolo unde s-a realizat tranzactia. Imediat dupa retinerea lui Alexa, oamenii sai de incredere au oferit nu mai putin de 100.000 de dolari pentru ca barbatul sa fie scos din dosar. Prin sentinta de ieri, Alexa a fost pus in libertate, (9) avand posibilitatea sa se faca nevazut. Afacerile cu droguri in familia Alexa nu sunt o noutate, fratele acestuia fiind condamnat in anii '80 in Germania, pentru trafic cu heroina alba. Practic, sentinta de ieri a judecatorului Jivan (10) anuleaza toata munca depusa de procurori si politisti timp de cateva luni de zile. Vicepresedintele Tribunalului Timis nu este la prima sentinta cel putin dubioasa. In urma cu cateva luni, cotidianul Adevarul a dezvaluit faptul ca judecatorul Ioan Jivan a dispus punerea in libertate a lui Cornel Urcan, fostul director al hotelului "Continental" din Timisoara, arestat intr-un dosar cu prejudicii de miliarde de lei. Ulterior punerii in libertate, (11) Urcan a fost reincarcerat in urma deciziei Curtii de Apel, Timisoara. Sentinta de ieri a Tribunalului Timis, continua seria achitarilor dubioase in cazul traficantilor de droguri. In urma cu cativa ani, Albu Elena, coordonatoarea unei retele internationale de heroina, a fost pusa in libertate, disparand fara urma. Cand a fost condamnata la ani grei de inchisoare, femeia era departe. Surse din lumea interlopa sustin ca traficantii de droguri vor repurta o noua victorie (12) impotriva celor care incearca sa stopeze flagelul mortii albe la Sibiu. Acolo se pregateste achitarea membrilor unei alte retele de traficanti de cocaina, condusa de Dan Emil. Dragos BOTA “Adevarul” 07 November 2002 Exercise 8 National Criminal Intelligence Service helps jail five men on £2.5 million drugs seizure in Lincolnshire and Leeds Listen to the report from October 2002 and complete the information Total of defendants From which towns? Drugs involved Police forces/agencies involved Pleas at trial Verdicts Range of sentences From to years Charges Possession and ________________ to ___________ Hiding place for drugs Exercise 9 Complete the list based on vocabulary items from the listening text. Use a dictionary if you are unsure. VERB NOUN 1. to supply a _____________ of heroin 2. __________________ surveillance 3. to plead _____________ 4. __________________ a package (of information) 5. to seize a ______________ of drugs 6. to originate ______________ 7. to target the main ______________ is drug dealers 8. __________________ with intent to / (with the intention to) 9. to disrupt _______________ 10. to fuel _______________ Exercise 10 Put in the best form of the passive to complete the text below. National Crime Squad and NCIS uncover multi-million pound drugs factory on East Sussex Farm National Crime Squad detectives today (18 July 2002) discovered one of the UK's biggest ever illicit amphetamine factories at an isolated farm in East Sussex. National Criminal Intelligence Service experts from the Synthetic Drugs Unit are now debriefing the site*, and believe it gives new intelligence on current techniques in amphetamine production. It (1) (believe) _____________that in the factory, which was in production at the time of the raid, up to 20kg. of heroin (2) (produce) _______________ drug each week for some time, with a potential street value profit of up to £1 million a week. Three people (two men in their forties and a woman in her thirties) all British, (3) (arrest) ____________________at 1.30 p.m. today. The men (4) (arrest) ___________ in Streatham, South London - one in a car in Grayswood Road, the other at a house in the same street. The woman was arrested simultaneously in the factory in a specially converted building on a farm property at Hurst Green, East Sussex, which was actually producing amphetamine as detectives entered. The building (5) (make) __________________ safe. Due to the isolated location, there had never been any actual danger to local residents or passers-by over the past months. Noxious fumes, waste deposits (A) in and immediately outside the building, and the ever-present danger of explosion, made it a hazardous place for anyone working there or entering. A spokesman for the NCIS Synthetic Drugs Unit said: "This is a significant discovery for NCIS, and will tell us much more about production methods in the UK, which is still the highest consumer of amphetamines in Europe. (B) NCIS was aware of the individuals involved and are delighted that they (6) (catch) ____________________. "There is much to learn from the factory site about illicit laboratories, the way that manufacturing equipment (7) (use) _____________ and the methods utilised by the chemists (C) behind this sort of major drugs conspiracy." Experts from the Forensic Science Service (FSS) who helped examine the building, described it as one of the most sophisticated and productive (D) such plants they have seen. The operation (8) (carry out) ____________________ by detectives from the Slough Branch office of the National Crime Squad with assistance from NCIS, the FSS, the Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police. The three people arrested (9) (interview) ___________________by National Crime Squad officers at police stations in South London and Sussex. • debriefing the site (!) Usually “to debrief” has persons as direct object. e.g. The officer debriefed his men after the incident. Activity 5 Grammar comments Homework task! Now look at the grammar points in bold type (A) to (D) A) What do you notice about the use of the prepositions? Can you make similar phrases with other modifiers such as “occasionally” “frequently” “generally” “especially”? e.g. These films are made for and occasionally with members of the public (rather than with professional actors). B) What do you notice about the verb agreement (i.e. use of singular/plural)? Is it incorrect to say or write sentences like this…? The government has announced its programme of reforms for the police service. They will present the main proposals to the House of Commons next week. C) With which other prepositional phrases might you replace “behind”? responsible …. / in charge … engaged … / involved … implicated … D) This is a rather unusual use of “such”. … one of the most sophisticated and productive such plants What phrase does it replace? Complete in the same way … … one of the most dangerous and foolish …./ one of the most famous and prestigious …. … one of the fastest and most efficient …./ one of the wealthiest and most influential …. Make sentences using one of the points above. 1. (B) The American DEA, Drug Enforcement Agency, (has/have) had a lot of success in (its/their) fight against heroin production in Afghanistan. 2. (D) Heroin, as a category A drug, is considered the (dangerous) and (deadly) ( ) drugs. Activity 6 Precursors Put the sentences into an appropriate sequence to read about chemical precursors. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X X Chemicals are used every day by ordinary people. A. The answer is simple. No chemicals = no illicit drugs. B. Industrial processes and production of pharmaceuticals involve large quantities of often common chemicals. C. In the case of semi-synthetic drugs such as heroin and cocaine, chemicals are required to convert the raw material into a useable drug. D. Synthetic drugs such as LSD, amphetamines or ecstasy are wholly manufactured from chemicals. E. So why do we need to control them? F. Illicit drug manufacturing processes are, by nature, clandestine activities, but there is a point where they intersect with legitimate, legal trade. G. Every aspect of modern life relies on chemicals in one way or another- office materials, clothes, food products, household items and many more. H. With the exception of naturally occurring substances such as cannabis, all drugs require chemicals for their extraction or synthesis. [...]... operation between the National Crime Squad and Lincolnshire Police.The men were sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court after three had pleaded guilty and two were found guilty after trial The arrests followed a protracted surveillance operation which originated in March 2001 in work carried out by NCIS in their North East and South East regions The package was then passed to the National Crime Squad for action On... Leeds Both vehicles had recently arrived in the UK from mainland Europe The operation to seize the drugs and make the arrests was carried out by the National Crime Squad's Calder branch and Lincolnshire Police, with assistance from NCIS Armed National Crime Squad officers were present when the lorry was stopped in Spalding, but no shots were fired Details of the defendants are as follows: Nicholas HOWARTH,... Lincolnshire Police, said: "We work closely with the National Crime Squad and other agencies to target and arrest offenders like these People like them are a high priority for Lincolnshire Police They peddle misery and grief and we are proud to be part of this operation which has taken them off the streets Detective Chief Inspector Gerry SMYTH, of the National Crime Squad, said: "This operation was a good example... Detective Chief Inspector Gerry SMYTH, of the National Crime Squad, said: "This operation was a good example of how partnership working within the police service can have a real impact on serious and organised crime The drugs seized were on their way to dealers who would have fuelled the miserable trade in drugs to the tune of £2.5 million worth of heroin and cannabis Putting this network in prison disrupted . UNIT 13 COMBATTING ORGANISED CRIME Discuss with a partner. 1. What is organised crime? 2. How serious is the threat to democracy posed by organised crime? . organised crime? 3. Can organised crime be defeated through a government’s tough laws? 4) Which are the main activities of organised crime? And the main transnational