The use of official corruption by transnational organised crime groups Essay

The use of official corruption by transnational organised crime groups - Essay Example The aim of this project is to compile a 10,000 word research paper following independent research in the area of transnational crime prevention. The topic selected by the author to research is the use of official corruption by transnational criminal groups to further their illegal activities. The topic is relevant to transnational crime prevention in that transnational criminal groups greatly rely on the use of various forms of official corruption to facilitate and grow their illegal activities. Transnational organised crime groups exist in all types of societies, whether or not there is a high incidence of official corruption. However, they are able to operate, remain viable and sustainable, grow and even become a serious threat to the state and civil society when certain conditions prevail. Such conditions include: Where the state is weak or corrupt or, more commonly, both. The agencies that are meant to control crime are unable to do so or else are unwilling, and instead are happy to be paid off by criminal groups or even work with them. The legal, political and economic systems fail to meet the needs of the society, or at least a significant section of them. In such circumstances, desire for illegal goods and services, such as drugs or other contraband, is often high and organised crime groups can and will fill any vacuum created by the weakness of the state to and provide essential and non essential services, including protection. If, for example, people do not believe that the police can or will protect them and their property, then paying criminals for protection may, in many circumstances, seem necessary and inevitable. Official corruption takes many forms and involves many different types of officialdom, from elected politicians, to officials in various ministries, including law enforcement agencies. The aim of this project is to put forward a definition of official corruption that best suits the purposes of research into the ways