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How organised is crime in Southern Africa?

Briefing on the state of trans-national organised crime in Southern Africa

ISS Conference Room, Pretoria21 April 2010

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Setting the Context Setting the Context

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•The concept of organised crime

•Trans-national character of organised crime

•Our current research into trans-national organised crime in the sub-region

•Trans-national organised crime in the broader context

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Organised crimeOrganised crime

In the eyes of criminologistsIn the eyes of criminologists It is criminal activity:

• by a group of persons• that relies on or is prepared to use violence,

corruption of public officials, penetration of the legitimate economy and/or of the political process

• for material benefit• which requires complex/sophisticated methods

of investigation/prevention (Von Lampe, Levi et al)

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Organised crimeOrganised crime

In the perception of law enforcement agencies inthe region: Organized crime is:

• crime committed by two or more perpetrators, who are aware of each other’s existence and general role, and who are acting in concert

• serious crime – as determined by potential or actual harm

• crime committed repeatedly, and • motivated by the prospect of material (usually

financial) gain

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Organised crimeOrganised crime

Organized crime may also have the following incidental, but

non-essential characteristics: • Committed by a criminal group that is structured like a business• A division of responsibilities • The leaders of the criminal group have disciplinary authority

over other members of the group• Facilitated by the use, or threatened use of violence, blackmail,

extortion, intimidation or corruption • Accompanied and supported by money laundering• Traverses national and international boundaries • Committed by the use of sophisticated or complex transactions

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Trans-national character of Trans-national character of organised crimeorganised crime

Traverses national and international boundaries, by

virtue of:• Being planned in one country and

committed in another• Multi-national impact • Multi-national composition of perpetrators(UN Convention against TOC)

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OCML Research into sub-OCML Research into sub-regional TOCregional TOC

• Envisages law enforcement institutions/agencies that are better informed and more effective in combating trans-national organised crime that occurs within or impacts on the sub-region.

• Formally launched in April, 2008 • Aspires to regularly document the nature,

incidence and impact of trans-national organised crime

• Based on observations, field work and interviews

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Regional organised crime Regional organised crime in the broader context in the broader context

Prominent and recurrent characteristics in global TOC over

the last five years were:• Escalation of financial crime• Increasing linkages between drug trafficking and other

forms of organised crime (stock theft, cattle-rustling, corruption)

• Declining markets for narcotics in certain developed countries, simultaneously with increases in consumption in certain developing countries

• Continuation of criminality in the procurement and marketing of precious natural resources

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Pre-requisites for effective Pre-requisites for effective policingpolicing

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CChallenges to effective hallenges to effective policing in the regionpolicing in the region

• Vague structures of accountability, with most agencies being answerable to either to themselves or to elite sectors

• Inadequate co-ordination and exchange of intelligence between police and other departments relevant to policing, due partly to legislative prohibitions on data sharing and partly to differences in cultural and policy objectives

• the prevailing state of political relations between different countries

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CChallenges to effective hallenges to effective policing in the regionpolicing in the region

• Lack of information from foreign sources • Inadequacy of resources• Differences in legal systems, • Prejudiced perceptions about the

credibility of foreign criminal justice regimes

• Political connections of the suspect in the host country

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