The Characteristics of Transnational Organized Crime and the Factors Which Have Contributed to its Development

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how transnational organized crime has changed over time, what factors have led to its development and what are its main characteristics. Transnational criminal organizations differ significantly from one another in terms of organizational structure, type of activity, size and territorial extent. Transnational organized crime operates through a network of homogeneous, interconnected groups. It is active in a number of areas ranging from bank fraud, cybercrime, drug trafficking, trafficking of goods and people to the seizure of government funds. The globalization process is one of the most important factors in the development of this phenomenon. One of the biggest problems is the participation of organized crime in political power at the horizontal (legislative and executive) and vertical (central and local) levels, as well as the influence on the judiciary. Continuous international cooperation as well as concrete steps in the design and harmonization of legislation are some elements to curb cross-border organized crime.   Received: 18 February 2024 / Accepted: 27 June 2024 / Published: 02 July 2024