The world is moving into a new phenomenon of the simultaneous globalization of crime, terror and corruption. This same phenomenon can be found almost everywhere, in the poorest countries of Africa, and even in the prosperous West. Because of corruption, crime and terror groups operate at the borders of Latin America, and also in Australia, Asia and North America.
Today, globalised crime networks work with terrorists and both are able to carry out their activities and goals successfully, and this is also aided by corruption. It is no longer separate. The idea that criminals only engage in crime to profit and terrorist groups only engage in crime to get their political motives across is not true, in this new age.
For example, during the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in USA, the same language school that provided some of the 9/11 hijackers their visa documents also provided them for a trafficking ring. The trafficking ring engaged in stolen identities that were used to facilitate terrorist activities.
Terrorism has changed over the past century, and has become more severe and taken on a more massive scale. In 1993, there were only 45 terrorist acts registered, but in 1998, there were 117. Organised crime groups, with its ability to get resources and materials through corruption, could get access to high tech means of terrorism. There are 23 countries that secretly or openly possess nuclear weapons, although that number is believed to be higher, and nuclear weapons could soon be used to blackmail governments.
The intensification of terrorism in the current century is linked to the process of globalization. This is the paradox of globalization. With its positive benefits come the negative impacts as well, for example, the widening of social inequalities and poverty.
For almost a hundred years, the Russians, for example, have been unable to break away from poverty although they have great territorial, economic and physical capacities and natural resources. This inability to produce wealth formed the basis explaining the current crime problems in Russia. The frustrations felt by the citizens provided a foundation for aggression, violence and terrorism.
Also, following the fall of the Soviet Union, many former government workers and businessmen were out of work and turned to crime.
Organised crime still controls many parts of Russia’s economy, and many businessmen today still faced interference from criminals and corrupt government officials, and is almost a ‘fact-of-life’ in Russia. 50,000 companies in Russia are controlled by organized crime groups and these groups control about 40% of Russia’s gross national product.
Organised crime groups have also penetrated into the state, and have provided protection, employment and social services that are no longer available from the government.
Terrorists and criminals move people, money and commodities through a world where the increasing flows of people and money provide a cover for their activities. Terrorists and transnational crime groups used globalization to perpetuate their acts and to avoid detection.
International organized crime has globalised its activities to take advantage of attractive labour and raw material markets to do illegal businesses. Terrorists have also globalised, taking advantage of the fact that they can now recruit globally and be supported logistically and financially.
With the end of the Cold War, there has been a great impact on the rise of transnational crime. This is also impacted by the improvements in technology. Criminals and terrorists can now exploit the Internet to execute their activities. For example, the 9/11 terrorists used computers to send messages to one another and to buy airline tickets. Al-Qaeda terrorists have also used the media and the Internet to perpetuate their agenda.
Free markets and a decline in state intervention are also factors that have led to the expansion of crime.
What can be done about this changing nature of crime and terrorism? For one, I believe that perceptions of crime have to be changed first. Crime is often viewed as an unimportant issue to terrorism. After the 9/11 attacks, resources have been shifted away from transnational crime to fighting terrorism. Perceptions of how criminals are only motivated by profit and terrorists are only motivated by their political agendas need to be changed to be able to deal with this problem.
The intersection of crime, terrorism and corruption in the global environment also needs to be addressed. These problems are linked to the social inequalities in countries and perhaps, the lack of opportunities. More jobs need to be created so that some farmers are not only dependent on drug cultivation to support their families.
Countries also need to share their intelligence in order to fight crime and terrorism together, to be successful in disrupting any potential terrorist activity.
