Drug Trafficking and Transnational Crime

Submitted to:

Mr. Manoj kumar

Faculty of Transnational Crime & Laws (Honours I)

Submitted by:

Naveen kumar Sihare

Roll no. 97

Semester VII, Section B

B.A. LLB (Hons.)

Submitted on:
April 6, 2017

HIDAYATULLAH NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

Uparwara Post, Abhanpur, New Raipur (C.G.) – 492002
Acknowledgements
I feel highly elated to work on the project “Drug Trafficking and Transnational Crime”. The
practical realisation of the project has obligated the assistance of many persons. Firstly I express
my deepest gratitude towards Mr. Manoj kumar , Faculty of Transnational Crime & Laws, to
provide me with the opportunity to work on this project. Her able guidance and supervision in
terms of her lectures were of extreme help in understanding and carrying out the nuances of this
project.

I would also like to thank The University and the Vice Chancellor for providing extensive
database resources in the library and for the internet facilities provided by the University.

Some typography or printing errors might have crept in, which are deeply regretted. I would be
grateful to receive comments and suggestions to further improve this project.

Naveen sihare
Roll. No. 97
Semester VII, Section B
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction
1.1. Statement of Problem
1.2. Hypothesis
1.3. Literature Review
1.4. Scope And Objective
1.5. Methodology
2. An Introduction to Drugs and Transnational Crime
2.1. Drugs
2.2. Crime and Transnational Crime
3. Drugs and Transnational Crime Relationship
3.1. Drug-defined offenses
3.2. Drug-related offences
3.3. Drug-using lifestyle
4. Understanding Drug Trafficking : A Sociological Perspective
5. Narco-States and Relation between Drug Trafficking and Terrorism
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
 INTRODUCTION

This research project deals with the drug trafficking as a form of transnational crime. The global
illicit drug trade is transnational by nature. In order to understand the relationship between drug
trafficking and transnational crime, it is important to have the basic knowledge of both. Thus,
this research project first briefly introduces about drug trafficking, drug abuse and crime. The
existence of relationship between drug trafficking and crime is widely accepted. The connection
between drug trafficking and crime is very complex. Many studies educate us about the close
relationship between drugs and crime. This research project thoroughly analyses the relationship
between the drug trafficking, drug abuse and crime. This research paper also deals with the
various important ways that drugs and crime are related i.e., Drug-defined offenses, Drug-related
offences and Drug-using lifestyle. This research paper will also deal with the impact of Drug
Trafficking on society. For example – it is now legal to use marijuana in Colorado, any
trafficking will be considered as legal. While in India, it is illegal to possess, use or transfer
marijuana. So we can say that, some drug related crimes are considered illegal in some countries
might not be illegal in some other countries. Lastly, this research paper will deal with the
various statistics regarding the crime relating to drug trafficking, drug abuse etc. This chapter
will consist statistics of the data provided by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes.
 1.1 Statement of Problem

To analyse drug trafficking as a form of transnational crime and look into major states involved
in drug trafficking and thereby understanding how drug trafficking helps various terrorist
organizations.

1.2 Hypothesis

Drug Trade is a crime which has no borders and has a negative impact on the society and more
so it has a direct link with terrorism.

1.3 Objective

. The various objectives of this research project are as follows:-

 To understand briefly about drugs trafficking, drug abuse and crime.

 To study the relationship between drug trafficking and transnational crime.
 To understand the impact of drugs on society.
 To study the relationship between drug trafficking and terrorism.

1.4 Literature Review

Books:-

 Trevor Bennett & Kathy Holloway, Drug- International Crime Connections, Cambridge
University Press Publications, 2007

This book mainly focuses on the connections between drugs and international crime. Drug
trafficking and crime shares a very complex relationship. This book also provides the study of
5,000 arrestees who were interviewed as a part of New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse
Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) programme. To understand the relationship between drug trafficking
andcrime. It is important to study the nature of both. This book provides a depth study of nature
of drugs and crime. This book also gives an insight of gender and drugs, ethnicity and drugs,
gangs, guns, drug markets, and treatment needs which were helpful in the topic. At the end of
 this book, a brief summary has been provided which was helpful in understanding the
relationship between drugs and crime.

 Mike Maguire, Rod Morgan, and Robert Reiner, The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford
University Press Publications, United Kingdom, 2012

This book specifically deals with the crime. This book gave an insight of crime due to drug use
and alcohol consumption. This book also provides information regarding the review of trends in
Drug and alcohol use from 1950s to 2011. Law enforcement plays an important role in
prevention of the drugs. Thus,to understand the role played by the laws in order to prevent drug
trafficking, it is important to have knowledge about law enforcement and drugs prevention. This
book gives a brief knowledge regarding the role played by the law enforcement in a country.
This book also talks about the role played by the Multi-Agencies in prevention of drug misuse.

Articles:

 Alex Stevens, Mike Trace and Dave Bewley-Taylor, Reducing Drug Related Crime: An
Overview of the Global Evidence, the Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme, 2005

 Kwesi Aning and John Pokoo, Understanding the nature and threats of drug trafficking to the
World, Stability: International Journal of Security & Development

 Trevor Bennett and Kathy Holloway, Understanding Drugs, Alcohol and Crime, Open
University Press, McGraw-Hill Education, 2005

Websites:

 https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/statistics/data.html

1.5 Scope of Study

The scope of this project is limited to the understanding drug trafficking as a form of
transnational crime and role of narco states in financing and promoting terrorism
1.6 Research Methodology

In this research, descriptive research methodology has been used. Primary and Secondary
sources of data has been used in the project.
 Chapter 2

An Introduction to Drugs and Transnational Crime

2.1. Drugs
"The term illicit drugs is used to describe drugs which are under international control (and
which may or may not have licit medical purposes) but which are produced, trafficked and/or
consumed illicitly."1

'Drug' is a term of varied usage. It can also be referred as a substance, which has a potential to
cure various diseases as well as a substance that helps a particular group to generate money by
trafficking it. In 21st century, trafficking of drugs has become a global problem. It is increasing
day by day not only in India but also globally. The illicit trades in drugs have a devastating
impact on the developing world. Drug trafficking also have a devastating impact on a country as
it affects country economy and society. It is also the major source of income for a terrorist group.
A terrorist group illicitly trade drugs to generate money and with this money, they purchase
weapons for themselves. It has been suggested that Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)
and Hezbollah have earned tens of millions of dollars through such illicit dealings, and then used
these funds to finance terrorist operations in Africa and elsewhere.2 So, it can be said that groups
engaging in drug trafficking also engage in other sorts of violent and criminal enterprise, from
mass murders and human smuggling.3 Human trafficking to also an important source of income
for the terrorists groups. In the United States, for example, UNODC estimates that smugglers are
paid around $7 billion to bring 2.7 million Latin Americans over the border every year. Drug
trafficking nowadays has become organized crimes. Groups seeking money and profit through
illegal activity like drug trafficking comes under the ambit of organized crimes. These groups

1
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) on Illicit Drugs
2
David E. Brown, “The Challenge of Drug Trafficking to Democratic Governance and Human Security in West
Africa,” Letort Papers (Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War College Press, 2013), Available at -
http://www.wacommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/pub1151.pdf.
3
Jeremy Haken, Transnational Crime In The Developing World, Global Financial Integrity, Available at -
http://www.gfintegrity.org/storage/gfip/documents/reports/transcrime/gfi_transnational_crime_web.pdf
also blackmail people to trade drugs and in return, they offer them huge sum of money. This can
also be called as 'Racketeering'.

Profits earned through drug trafficking can also be used to criminalize the state also. Traffickers
can use their profits to fund that electoral campaigns and they can be an elected official of the
state by using profits which he earned through drug trafficking. According to UNESCO, when
this happens, “criminals become, both personally and officially, the servants of the very State
whose laws they violate, as some sectors of State administration are placed under their legal
responsibility.”4

Drug users are also increasing day by day. The estimated number of drug users has actually risen
by 6 million to 246 million (range: 162 million-329 million) owing to the increase in the global
population.5 It is estimated that almost a quarter of a billion people between the ages of 15 and
64 years used an illicit drug in 2013.6 According to Global estimates of the use of various drugs,
around 7 percent of world population has used drug.7 These figures projects the increasing use of
drugs globally. Even if the proper prevention of drugs laws exists in every country, the
trafficking of drugs is increasing day by day.

2.2. Transnational Crime

According to Paul Tappan, “crime is an intentional act in violation of the criminal law
committed without defense or excuse, and penalized by the state"8 A crime can be defined as any
activity, which is prohibited by law of the country. It is the law that defines crime. Drug and
crime shares a very close relationship. However, sometimes it is not true. It's not important that
in one country the use of marijuana is prohibited then it is also prohibited in other countries too.
For example, it is now legal to use marijuana in Colorado, any use of marijuana will be

4
1 Fabre, Guilhem and Michel Schiray, “Globalisation, Drugs and Criminalisation: Final Research Paper on Brazil,
China, India and Mexico,” UNESCO, 2002, Part 1: Drug Trafficking and the State, p. 2., Available at - ,
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001276/127644e.pdf.
5
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report, Accessed on Oct 20, 2015, Available at
http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr2015/WDR15_Chapter_1.pdf
6
Ibid
7
Ibid
8
Tappan, P. (1947). Who is the criminal? American Sociological Review, 12, 96–112
considered as legal. While in India, it is illegal to possess, use or traffic marijuana. Drug
trafficking, racketeering and human trafficking comes under the ambit of crime. It is prohibited
nearly by every country.

Transnational crimes are crimes that have actual or potential effect across national borders and
crimes that are intrastate but offend fundamental values of the international community. The
term is commonly used in the law enforcement and academic communities. Transnational
organized crime (TOC) refers specifically to transnational crime carried out by crime
organizations.

The word transnational describes crimes that are not only international (that is, crimes that cross
borders between countries), but crimes that by their nature involve cross-border transference as
an essential part of the criminal activity. Transnational crimes also include crimes that take place
in one country, but their consequences significantly affect another country and transit countries
may also be involved. Examples of transnational crimes include: human trafficking, people
smuggling, smuggling/trafficking of goods (such as arms trafficking and drug trafficking and
illegal animal and plant products and other goods prohibited on environmental grounds (e.g.
banned ozone depleting substances), sex slavery, terrorism offences, torture and apartheid.
 Chapter 3

Drugs and Transnational Crime Relationship

The global illicit drug trade is transnational by nature. It generates more than $400 billion a year
which represents almost 1 percent of the world’s economy. The importance of this global illicit
drug market is of concern, so much so that the member countries of the United Nations(UN)
have called for a global eradication of production by year 2019. Despite successful efforts in
recent years by governments to reduce production, and thus availability of drugs, analyses of
long-term trends show that global potential production of drugs is increasing.
As it has been mentioned earlier, drug and crime shares a very complex relationship. We cannot
say that people who use drugs commits crime or people who commit crime are inclined towards
drug use. Drugs are related to crime in many ways. In many countries, it is crime to sell,
manufacturing, possess and trade those drugs which have a potential for abuse. Some of the
drugs that have a potential for abuse are Cocaine, Marijuana, and crystal meth. Many times, drug
effects generate violence and other illegal activity. There are basically three types of crimes
related to drugs:

4.1. Drug-defined offenses

Drug-defined offences are also known as system related crimes. These are those offences in
which an individual produce, manufacture, transport and sell drugs. Drug-defined offences also
include violence related to the production or sale of drugs, such as a turf war. 9 Examples of
drug-defined offences are Drug possession, Marijuana cultivation, Methamphetamine
production, cocaine, heroin, or marijuana sales. Drug Trafficking comes under the ambit of
Drug-defined offences as it includes trading of those drugs, which have a potential of abuse.
According to world drug report 2015, there are about 329,000 thousand persons in the world who

9
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Alcohol, Drugs and Crime, Available at -
https://ncadd.org/about-addiction/alcohol-drugs-and-crime
are using illicit drug.10 All these persons can be called as criminals as they trade, use and possess
those drugs which have a potential of abuse. Selling drugs to acquire money to finance a drug
habit is a common behavior among users in the world and is considered as an offence by every
country.

4.2. Drug-Related Offences Drug-Realted offences are those offences which includes those
persons who ingest drugs and commit crimes as a result of effect the drug has on their thought
processes and behavior.11 This is the most commom type of behavious among criminals. Many
of the offences committed by them are after using drugs. For example, violent behavior after
drug abuse. Stealing to get money to buy more drugs. Violence against rival drug dealers.
Driving while intoxicated also comes under the ambit of Drug-Related offences. Drinking and
drugged driving is the number one cause of death, injury and disability of young people under
the age of 21, and nearly 40% of all traffic fatalities are alcohol related. Every day 36 people die
and approximately 700 are injured in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired
driver. Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of
motor vehicle driver deaths, often in combination with alcohol.12 There are also high number of
cases in which there is drug-related death. UNODC estimates that in 2013 there were 187,100 (range:
98,300-231,400) drug-related deaths13

4.3. Drug-Using lifestyle

In this, drug abuse becomes the habit of the individual. As we all know that drug use is
considered deviant in society. Continuous drug abuse leads to motivate the need for money.
Regular drug abuse also make a person frequent in illegal activity because that person needs
money in order to buy more drugs and satisfy his needs. This frequency in illegal activites,

10
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report, Accessed on Oct 20, 2015, Available at
http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr2015/WDR15_Chapter_1.pdf

11
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Alcohol, Drugs and Crime, Available at -
https://ncadd.org/about-addiction/alcohol-drugs-and-crime
12
Ibid
13
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report, Accessed on Oct 20, 2015, Available at
http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr2015/WDR15_Chapter_1.pdf
becomes the habit id the individual and ultimately, it becomes his lifestyle. For example - If a
person is a drug addict. He needs more money to purchase drugs and satisfy his needs. In order
to do that, he start stealing money. Now, if he consumes all the drug that he brought from stolen
money, he will try to make more money and he will search more ways to buy drugs. Soon, it will
become a habit and ultimately, it will become his lifestyle.
 Chapter 4
Understanding Impact of Drug Trafficking

Drug Trafficking has various impacts on the society. The main impact of Drug trafficking is on
family. Drug trafficking can lead to family breakdown. The country study on Thailand attributes
increasing use of heroin and psychotropic substances to urbanization, rapid cultural change and a
breakdown in family cohesion.14 So we can say that, drug abuse can transform family from an
asset of society into a burden. In slum areas, there is a high amount of drug trafficking. It affects
children who are brought up in that area. This act as a motivational factor. When they grow up,
they also start trading drugs. While family plays as an important source of drug problems, it can
also act as a treatment for drug abuse. Mother teaching his son about what's right in the society
and what is not can influence him and he can give away his drug habits. But this rarely happens
in a society.

Drug abuse also has negative impact on health. Drug is a toxic substance it directly affects
human health. Substances like heroin, cocaine, opiates etc can have negative impact on health
and overdose of these drugs can even lead to death. According to the statistics, in the United
States alone, there were 532,000 drug-related emergency room visits in 1995, up from 404,000 in
1988: an increase of more than 30 per cent. This clearly demonstrates the magnitude of drug-
related health problems, both for the addicts concerned and for society, which is burdened with
the health costs related to drugs abuse.15 Drug injectors also face health issues. Needle sharing is
common among drug injectors. This can lead to AIDS and other diseases. According to
UNDOC, 13.5 percent of the drug injector suffers from AIDS.16 Moreover, this number is still
rising because of needle sharing among drug injectors.

14
Anchalee Singhanetra-Renard, "Socio-economic and political impact of production, trade and use of narcotic
drugs in Thailand", draft study prepared for UNRISD and the United Nations University (1993), p. 87.
15
The National Drug Control Stategy: 1996, op.cit., p.88 and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, Preliminary Estimates from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, Advance Report Number 17, 1996
16
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report, Accessed on Oct 20, 2015, Available at
http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr2015/WDR15_Chapter_1.pdf
Drug abuse also hampers the study of the students. Students who are a victim of drug abuse
suffer from short term memory and other intellectual capabilities of brain. It ultimately leads to
poor academic performance, which creates a psychological impact on student. Because of this,
he increases drug consumption. A student then creates a vicious circle in which only drug
abusers are there. This vicious group, sometimes, commits crime in order to gain money and
purchase drugs. Education can also help in prevention of Drug abuse. If proper education is
provided to the students. It might influence them to stop taking drugs. Providing proper
education is a long term process. It is not easy to educate student in just one day. Only problem
with this type of education facilities is that these education facilities are not easily available and
if available, they have a huge amount of fees which is impossible to pay for lower class people.
Moreover, it is nearly impossible for drug addicts to stop taking drugs if proper education
facilities are provided to them.Drug trafficking also affects environment in several ways. Many
drug traffickers, in order to produce drugs, clears the forest area and start growing those crops by
which drugs can be made. Deforestation for the purpose of growing marijuana and coca plants
are the common example for environment damage. Illicit coca bush cultivation and coca leaf
transformation into cocaine lead to serious environmental damage. n. In Colombia alone, roughly
290,000 ha of forest were lost directly to coca bush crops between 2001 and 2013.17

The main impact of drug trafficking is on society. As it has been already stated that, drug abuse
influences crime. Drug trafficking and crime shares a very close relationship. Drug increase
many kinds of criminal activities. Most of the drug-related crime occurs in the form of drug
trafficking. There are conflicts among groups competing for more amount of market share. It
also results in theft and prostitution because drug consumers wants to satisfy their needs and in
ordr to do that, they would commit another crime as theft and prostitution. In the United
Kingdom, it is estimated that, with under 165,000 people in treatment for heroin and/or “crack”
dependency, an estimated 4.9 million acquisitive crimes such as burglary, robbery and
shoplifting were prevented during 2010-2011.18

17
Ibid
18
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report, Accessed on Oct 20, 2015, Available at
http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr2015/WDR15_Chapter_1.pdf
The drug trade produces billions of dollars for organized crime every year, forcing endless
expenses on people, families, groups, and governments around the world. Drug abuse ruins
individual lives, drains billions of dollars every year. Drug trafficking and drug abuse may also
lead to increase in terrorist activity of a country. As it has been mentioned earlier, terrorist group
with the activities like human trafficking and drug trafficking increase their wealth. With this
wealth, they purchase weapons. Now, they have no restriction and they can attack whenever they
want to.
 Chapter 5

Narco-States and Relation between Drug Trafficking and Terrorism

Organized crime and terrorism have two differing goals. Organized crime's business is business.
The less attention brought to their lucrative enterprises, the better. The goal of terrorism is quite
the opposite. A wide-ranging public profile is often the desired effect. Despite this, the links
between organized crime and terrorism are becoming stronger in regards to the drug trade.
Organized crime groups often run the trafficking organizations while the terrorists and insurgent
groups often control the territory where the drugs are cultivated and transported. The relationship
is mutually beneficial. Both groups use funds garnered from the drug trade to finance their
organizations and operations.

"FARCLANDIA"

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known by the Spanish acronym FARC) was
established as a communist insurgency group intent on overthrowing the Colombian government.
In 1990, however, their ideological leader Jacobo Arenas died. His successors had very little
qualms about breaching their ideological ethics. FARC had for a long time "taxed" narcotics
traffickers. By the mid-1990s FARC guerillas began to take a more in-depth role in the
trafficking process by supplanting themselves as the middlemen between the farmers and the
cocaine processing labs owned by cartel bosses. The changes in FARC over the last decade have
been significant. As the revenue from the drug trade has expanded, so to has the power and
influence of FARC. Of particular concern is FARC's territorial control. FARC controls an
estimated 40 percent of Colombia. Included in that territory is their "safe haven." Prior to peace
talks in 1999 with the Colombian government, FARC negotiated for control of an immense
swath of Colombian territory under the pretext of it being a demilitarized zone. The zone covers
an area of approximately 42,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of Switzerland. The
Colombian government have seen this as a concession to FARC to push them to the negotiating
table. FARC, however, has used the safe haven to continue the cultivation of narcotics and
staging grounds for assaults on the Colombian military. Cuba had been a major contributor to the
FARC cause, providing funding, training, and refuge for FARC soldiers.19 With the end of the
Cold War came a significant reduction in Cuban support. The successful campaigns to eradicate
coca crops from Bolivia and Peru pushed the trade to areas controlled by FARC in southern
Colombia. Experts estimate that over half of FARC's funding comes from drug cultivation and
trafficking, with the rest coming from kidnapping, extortion, and other criminal activities. A
Time Magazine article recently estimated that FARC makes $700 million annually from the drug
trade. An alarming trend has been the increasing cooperation between FARC and elements of the
Russian mafia. The Colombian drug cartels had cultivated a relationship with the Russian mafia
since the early 1990s. But with the decline of the drug cartels and the rise of guerilla armies in
the drug trafficking business, came new relationships. Never one to shy away from opportunities
with new customers, the Russian mafia increased their business deals with FARC. The Russians
built a arms pipeline to Colombia, bringing in thousands of weapons, and tons of other supplies
to help FARC fight their war against the Colombian government. The weapons range from
assault rifles and RPGs to military helicopters and, according to media reports, shoulder-
launched surface-toair missiles. Evidence has surfaced regarding an arms-for-drugs deal between
Russian organized crime groups and FARC. Russian cargo planes loaded with small arms, anti-
aircraft missiles, and ammunition would take off from airstrips in Russia and Ukraine and fly to
Colombia. The weapons and ammunition were unloaded and sold to FARC rebels. In return the
planes were loaded with up to 40,000 kilograms of cocaine and shipped back to Russia, where
the Russian mafia would distribute the drugs for profit. At the time the story broke, the operation
had been on-going for two years. FARC is also extending its cooperation to the borders of the
United States. The recent arrest of a FARC figure in Mexico have convinced Mexican and
American authorities of a Colombian link to the Arellano-Felix-run Tijuana cartel. The State
Department believes that FARC supplied cocaine to the Tijuana cartel in return for cash and
weapons. A defeat of FARC would not spell an end to drug trafficking out of South America.
History has shown that as soon as one area has successfully been eradicated of drug crops, new
areas of cultivation spring up across borders. If FARC is defeated, groups like ELN and
paramilitary groups are likely to fill the vacuum. This "balloon effect" may further spread the

19
Huggins, Laura E., ed. Drug War Deadlock: The Policy Battle Continues. Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press,
2005, pg. 54
drug trade and the associated violence into states bordering Colombia, such as Venezuela,
Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil.

Afghanistan

Despite publicly announced efforts by the Taliban to combat drug cultivation and trafficking,
Afghanistan continues to be the largest producer of opium in the world. And production of the
crop is growing. According to the Intelligence Community's Counter-Narcotics and Crime
Center, opium cultivation grew from 41,720 hectares in 1998, to 51,500 in 1999, and 64,510 in
2000, an increase of over 54 percent in two years. In some districts, as much as 60 percent of the
land is used to grow poppies.20 The Poppy cultivation is expanding territorially in Afghanistan as
well, expanding into provinces not previously used for poppy cultivation. Afghanistan became
the world's leading producer of opium in 1998, and now produces more than three times as much
as Myanmar, the previous leader. This, despite Afghanistan having only 58 percent of
Myanmar's area of cultivation. The Taliban gets funding from taxing all aspects of the drug
trade. Opium harvests are taxed at around 12 percent. Then the heroin manufacturing labs are
taxed at $70 per kilogram of heroin. In the final stage, the Taliban gives transporters a permit for
$250 per kilo of heroin to carry for presentation to Taliban checkpoints throughout the country.
The Observatoire Geopolitique des Drouges estimates that this adds up to $75 million per year in
taxes for the Taliban.

North Korea

Unlike Latin America or Europe, where organized crime attempts to penetrate the state, North
Korea is penetrating organized crime. With the economy in shambles, the government of North
Korea has turned to drug trafficking and organized crime for funding. A number of indicators
suggest that North Korea is involved in the methamphetamine, opium, and heroin trafficking.
Not only do the North Koreans cooperate with organized crime groups, but members of the
armed forces, the diplomatic corps, and the intelligence service actually engage in trafficking of

20
United Nations, “Afghanistan Opium Survey: Summary Findings.” http://www.unodc.org/unodc/drugs/afghan-
opium-survey.html.
narcotics. Western intelligence agencies have confirmed the presence of large-scale opium
production facilities in North Korea. But the North Koreans are not limited to drug production
facilities. There is also evidence of printing plants used to produce high-quality counterfeit
currency. And Japan grows increasingly nervous as members of its local Korean population with
ties to the North become involved more deeply in this dirty, underground trade.
 CONCLUSION

Drug trafficking and crime shares a very complex relationship. Crime can be drug-related
(persons who ingest drugs and commit crimes because of effect the drug) as well as drug-defined
(offences in which an individual produce, manufacture, transport and sell drugs). It is now
evident that drug abusers are more likely to commit crime rather than non-drug abusers.
Terrorists group in order to generate money, commits offences like drug trafficking and human
trafficking and with the generated money, they purchase weapons. Drug trafficking severely
impacts the society. Drug abuse and trafficking can be a major reason for family breakdown.
Health is also severely affected by drug abuse. Various drug create negative impact on health and
sometimes drug overdose can lead to death also. Afghanistan and Colombia represent the best
examples of the new threat caused by the convergence of drugs and terrorism. Afghanistan is a
haven for Islamic insurgent guerillas and terrorists. In Colombia, the destabilization of a country
is a major concern. Colombia is responsible for two-thirds of the world's production of coca.
Afghanistan generates 75 percent of the worlds opiates. And the trend lines for both are going
up. Afghanistan and Colombia command the market share of the opiate and cocaine production
in the world. They are the blue chips of the narcotics industry. Drug trafficking is increasing day
by day and with this, crime rates is increasing. Proper measures are not taken in order to control
them. Bribes are paid to police officers for the purpose of allowing various groups to trade drugs.
Drugs are smuggled from one country to another. This leads to transfer of black money from one
country to another. It severely affects the economy of the country. In order to control it, proper
laws should be adopted by the government. Proper punishment should be given to the drug
traffickers so that it will serve as an example and there will be fear of getting caught among drug
traffickers. The lines between organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism are quickly
becoming blurred.
 Bibliography
Primary Sources
Reports
 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report, Available at
http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr2015/WDR15_Chapter_1.pdf

Secondary Sources
Books
 Trevor Bennett & Kathy Holloway, Drug-International Crime Connections, Cambridge
University Press Publications, 2007
 Mike Maguire, Rod Morgan, and Robert Reiner, The Oxford Handbook of Criminology,
Oxford University Press Publications, United Kingdom, 2012

Articles

 David E. Brown, “The Challenge of Drug Trafficking to Democratic Governance and

Human Security in West Africa,” Letort Papers (Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War
College Press, 2013), Available at - http://www.wacommissionondrugs.org/wp-
content/uploads/2013/05/pub1151.pdf.

 Fabre, Guilhem and Michel Schiray, “Globalisation, Drugs and Criminalisation: Final
Research Paper on Brazil, China, India and Mexico,” UNESCO, 2002, Part 1: Drug
Trafficking and the State, p. 2., Available at - ,
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001276/127644e.pdf.

 Tappan, P. (1947). Who is the criminal?, American Sociological Review, 12, 96–112

 Anchalee Singhanetra-Renard, "Socio-economic and political impact of production, trade

and use of narcotic drugs in Thailand", draft study prepared for UNRISD and the United
Nations University (1993), p. 87.
  Frank Cillufo. “The threat posed by convergence of Organised Crime, Drug trafficking
and Terrorism.”, presented before Centre for Strategic and International studies,
Washington D.C.

Websites
 https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/statistics/data.html
 National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Alcohol, Drugs and Crime,
Available at - https://ncadd.org/about-addiction/alcohol-drugs-and-crime