Globalisation of crime

• What’s the definition of globalisation of crime (held et al) ?

  an interconnectedness of crime across national borders. This has led to the spread of transnational organised crime.
• There is now a global criminal economy worth over £1 trillion per annum
• Some examples of global crime ?

  -Smuggling Illegal immigrants

  -drugs trade 

  -financial crimes 

  -Green crimes 
• What’s a real life examples of drugs trade?

  -a lorry driver who tried to smuggle £620,000 worth of cannabis from Holland to Northern Ireland was jailed
• What’s a real life examples of drugs trade?

  -a lorry driver who tried to smuggle £620,000 worth of cannabis from Holland to Northern Ireland was jailed
• Some examples of financial crimes ?

  • Off Shore accounts

  • Money Laundering

  • Tax Evasion
• Some examples of trafficking?

  • Arms Trafficking
  • People Trafficking
  • Modern Slavery
• Some examples of terrorism?

  • Domestic Terrorism

  • Online Radicalisation
• What’s a rea life example of modern slavery?

  -Three gang members who trafficked 12 people from eastern Europe have been jailed after being convicted of trafficking and modern slavery.

  -Men and women had been forced to work in various places including McDonald’s in Caxton, Cambridgeshire, and at a bakery in Hertfordshire, prosecutors said
• What did Hobbs and dunningham say ?

  • Crime works as a ‘glocal’ system – it is still locally based, but

  with global connections.

  • The form crime takes will vary according to local conditions, but will be influenced by global factors
• What did misha Glenn’s say (2008) ?

  • Relationship between globalisation and criminal organisation in “McMafia”.
• What’s the drugs trade ?

  The global drugs trade is now worth over $300 billion per year.

  Drugs are often cultivated in third world countries such as Colombia, Peru and Afghanistan which have large impoverished populations so drugs is an attractive trade as it requires little investment but commands high prices especially in the western world.
• What’s human trafficking ?

  Can include the trafficking of women and children as well as illegal immigrants and human body parts. It is estimated that over 2000 organs per year are trafficked from condemned or executed criminals. Women and children are often trafficked for sex trade or slavery, it is estimated the over half a million people are trafficked to western European annually
• What’s financial crime?

  Such as money laundering have become much easier with the relaxing of international banking laws meaning that people are able to move money between offshore accounts much easier or to haven countries where national laws do not allow law enforcement access to accounts.
• What’s cyber crime ?

  Cyber crime has developed out of the growth in technology and take a number of forms including cyber fraud, cyber theft, cyber terrorism and cyber violence. It is a transnational crime as the hacker can be in one country whilst hacking a system in a another country.
• What’s transactional organised crime ?

  There has been a growth in organised crime networks based on economic links. Glenny calls these “McMafia” which developed from the deregulation of global markets and the fall of the soviet union. Additionally the old school mafias such as the Italian mafia and the triads began to disperse around the world, especially in place like the USA.
• What’s terrorism  ?

  Technological and communication advancements have made international terrorism easier, as groups are able to communicate with members all over the world and cultivate in-state members through online radicalisation.
• What’s individualism (impact on globalisation ?

  Bauman – Growing individualism and consumer culture means that individuals are left to weigh the costs and benefit of their decisions and choose the best course to bring them the highest rewards. This can lead to people taking part in criminal activity in order to achieve the consumer lifestyle which is otherwise unobtainable.
• What’s opportunities (impact on globalisation ? 

  Growing globalisation, technological advancements and communications has led to newer types of crime as well as new ways in which to carry out crime. In particular places like the Dark Web which allow criminals to communicate and conduct crimes whilst undetected. Additionally crimes can be committed in one nation whilst the criminal is in a different country.
• What’s risk society(impact on globalisation ?

  Beck – Growing instability in the globalised world has led to people being more risk conscious. The causes of the risks are often global in nature which can make it hard to pinpoint who is responsible and the media can play on this fear. These fears can lead to hate crimes and racially motivated crimes.
• What’s problems with policing (impact on globalisation ?

  Due to crimes becoming transnational in requires cooperation between many different law enforcement agencies to bring the criminals to justice. Additionally what maybe illegal in one country is not in another and if the criminal is one country and the victim in another it can be difficult to determine jurisdiction.
• What’s more inequality (impact on globalisation ?

  Taylor – globalisation creates new patterns of inequality. The winners from the process are the rich financial investors and transnational corporations, where are the losers are the workers . The disadvantaged in both the developing and developed world are faced with greater insecurity and greater relative deprivation which then feeds criminal behaviour.
• What’s some strengths of globalisation and crime?

  Valuable – focuses on the newest, most dramatic and serious of crimes.

  Has led to more connectedness between law enforcement agencies around the world.
• What’s some criticisms of globalisation and crime?

  • Difficult to investigate due to the secretive and global nature.
  • Dependency on secondary sources and reliable statistics are not available. Primary research can be dangerous
  • Easily exaggerated in terms of impact.
• What are the categories of cyber crime according to Wall 2001 ?

  • Cyber Deception and Theft e.g identify theft and hacking 
  • Pornography e.g child pornography and and illegal types of pornography.
  • Trespass e.g Hacking and Sending Viruses
  • Cyber Violence e.g Cyber Bullying and Terrorist Websites
• What’s disorganised capitalism (impact on globalisation ?


  Lash and Urry – increased deregulation and fewer state controls over business and finance. Corporations now act transnationally moving money, manufacturing, waste disposal and staff around the world to increase profits and lower regulation. Taylor - This has led to greater job insecurity, less social cohesion and fewer job opportunities in the west which can increase crime rates.