This research paper investigates how Transnational Organized Crime has expanded and increased their presence and their activities across borders in the European Union. Four significant concepts and theories; Globalization, migration, the social embeddedness theory, and the illegal enterprise theory were applied in order to explain how a crucial factor, globalization, in different forms has facilitated for the expansions. Using data in form of reports, documents, and news articles, a qualitative content analysis was conducted. The results show that globalization within certain industries such as transportation and trade has facilitated for the expansion in terms of activities. While globalization in terms of an enhanced movement of people across borders facilitated for the expansions in terms of recruitment of new members. Based on the results, the term globalization itself is not efficient enough to explain why and how it has facilitated for the expansions. Hence the importance of the theories and concepts that in this case have enhanced the analysis and enlarged the discussion which led to the above stated conclusion on how globalization in different forms have facilitated for Transnational Organized Crime to expand across borders.

This dissertation examines the relationship between violent organized crime and foreign direct investment (FDI) through sub-national analysis focused on the case of Mexico. The results indicate that FDI decisions vary based on the type of violent organized crime.

When an individual decides to end a criminal lifestyle, it becomes crucial to understand how both society and the surrounding view the individual. The labeling that previously existed can still be used against the defector and reduce the opportunities in society that can be offered. This also becomes an obstacle for the individual to make a role exit and delays the change process. However, the surroundings and new interests become a motivation for not making a relapse.The purpose of the research is to study the process of change that young adult men make when they leave the criminality and the adversities they encounter during their lifetime. A qualitative method was applied to study the topic where seven participants were interviewed and shared their life stories. With a phenomenological starting point, the social reality that defectors make when they leave organized crime is accounted for. Furthermore, the research is based on eleven previous researches that have been done in Sweden, South Africa and the USA, which describe important aspects. The theoretical framework consists of Ebaughs role exit theory and Goldberg's labeling theory. The previous research shows a connection and understanding that exists among the responses of defectors, and the theories reinforce what is emphasized in the analysis. There is a central reason why the defectors chose to break off the relationship with the gang, which is described as maturity, among other things. Even prosocial relationships become the reason for the decision of defectors to leave criminality. This will also be crucial for the participants' life chances to be able to reintegrate into society.

6 Abstract The goal of this thesis is to provide a basic overview of the legislative acts taken against organized crime in Japan, and to map the intriguing historical evolution of organized crime until the present day. Also, to show how the connection and the historically advantageous relationship between the yakuza and the ruling elites affected the law in Japan. The first chapter is dedicated to the historical milestones of organized crime in Japan from the 17th century to the implementation of the first comprehensive law against the organized crime - the Bōtaihō, in 1991. In the next part of this thesis the particularities of the legislation against organized crime can be found, including the differences of the American and European models as well as the details of the Bōtaihō law itself. The third chapter is dedicated to the complementary and follow-up legislations concerning the fight against organized crime. Key words: organized crime, yakuza, legal instruments to fight organized crime

Santykiai tarp Europos ir Rusijos labai stipriai veikia pasaulio stabilumą. Magistrinio darbo tikslas yra išsiaiškinti, kokia Rusijos įtaka Europos saugumui, pateikti išsamią Europos ir Rusijos santykių kovos su organizuotu nusikalstamumu srityje analizę. Darbe nagrinėjami ES kovos su organizuotu nusikalstamumu politika, ES ir Rusijos teisės aktai, susitarimai, jų vykdoma politika. Taip pat siekiama atskleisti Lietuvos ir Rusijos bendradarbiavimo santykius kovoje su šiuo reiškiniu bei formuojamą politiką. Tuo tikslu buvo vykdoma ekspertų, politikų, mokslininkų apklausa, kad išsiaiškintume, ar, jų nuomone, Rusijos organizuotas nusikalstamumas kelia grėsmę Europos saugumui, kuo ši grėsmė pasireiškia, ar nekyla bendradarbiavimo sunkumų tarp Lietuvos ir Rusijos teisėsaugos institucijų bei kitus su tuo susijusius klausimus. Magistriniame darbe keliama hipotezė, kad Rusija kelia grėsmę Europos saugumui, nes Rusijos kova su organizuotu nusikalstamumu neatitinka ES ir tarptautinių standartų. / Relations between EU and Russia have a huge impact on global stability. This Master’s Thesis aims to define the impact of Russia on European security and to provide a detailed analysis of relations between EU and Russia in the field of detection of organized crime. The Thesis also aims to provide an analysis of the EU policy on the field of organized crime detection, of European and Russian legislation, agreements and the policy the countries are implementing. Another aim of the Thesis is to cast a light on the relations of cooperation between Lithuania and Russia in this field, and to describe the national policies. Experts, politicians and scientists have been interviewed in order to find out, whether, in their opinion, Russian organized crime is threatening European security, in which ways the threat is expressed, whether there are any difficulties in cooperation between Lithuanian and Russian law enforcement institutions, and other related matters. The hypothesis of this Thesis is that Russia causes threat to European security, as Russian’s measures of detection of organized crime are not up to EU and international standards.

Every phenomenon evolves with times. Illicit activities like Transnational Organized Crimes (TOC) are not an exception in this regard. Africa, especially West and Southern Africa, have been challenged by a number of TOCs. Ghana and South Africa are amongst the countries in West and Southern Africa that have been subjected to a range of crimes of this nature. Drug trafficking and money laundering are the most prominent illicit activities in Ghana and South Africa. Drug trafficking and money laundering has been prevalent in Ghana and South Africa to such an extent that it has contributed to the growth of illicit economy. Increased size of illicit economy, constrained state capacity and expansion of TOCs are amongst effects of drug trafficking and money laundering in Ghana and South Africa. This dissertation evaluates state capacity in relation to drug trafficking and money laundering in Ghana and South Africa in the period from 2001 to 2011. Regulatory, administrative, technical and extractive are elements of state capacity being looked at. The research used qualitative research method, this was achieved through textual analysis of secondary sources. Regulatory, administrative, and technical state capacity elements have been fairly operational in dealing with drug trafficking and money laundering in the period from 2001 to 2011 in the two countries being looked at. On the other hand extractive state capacity element has been struggling from 2001 to 2011 in reducing drug trafficking and money laundering in Ghana and South Africa. It is clear that globalization has played an important role in the occurrence of the two TOCs under discussion. To better understand TOCs further research needs to look at other regions within and outside Africa. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

Univ., Diss u.d.T.: Reiter, Stephanie: Einfluss der Europäischen Union auf das österreichische Strafrecht--Wien, 2006.

The most challenging and spoken criminal phenomenon today is indisputably organised crime. It is a crime that both the general public, business community, commentators, researchers, scholars, journalists, writers, politicians, prosecutors, jurists and presiding officials debate with different interpretation and understanding of the concept as well as the manifestation of the phenomena. Debates on the subject have seen the dawn of rival terminologies of organised crime and crimes that are organised. While the United Nations has not assisted the nations in finding a definition of what organised crime is, the confusion has spread throughout the globe and South Africa has not been spared the pandemonium. The objective of this study is to comparatively assess the present understanding and setup in South Africa in comparison with Italy, Tanzania and the United States of America, identify the root causes of the confusion and find possible remedies to liberate the situation. The research concludes with the findings and recommendations. / Criminal & Procedural Law / LL.D.

This thesis focuses on legal protection of victims of human trafficking in Sweden. Human trafficking involves the exploitation of often already vulnerable individuals and is a violation of their human rights. Human trafficking is also a threat to state security as a component of transnational organized crime and illegal migration, and has therefore long been a subject of international cooperation.      In this thesis international responses to human trafficking are categorized as being focused on two distinct and separately protected parties, namely the individual and the state. The implementation of these international responses have, in the case of Sweden, mainly led to new criminal regulation relating to human trafficking, and in this thesis international as well as Swedish legal measures against human trafficking are analyzed from a victimological perspective. The overall aim is to investigate and analyze whether victims of trafficking have received an enhanced legal protection through Swedish criminal law.      The thesis shows that human trafficking is not considered a problem in the Swedish legislative context, and that the international measures to protect victims of trafficking have not been regarded to any great extent. Few victims of trafficking in Sweden are even identified as victims, and measures against human trafficking have largely been associated with measures against prostitution. To legally connect human trafficking with prostitution is, however, problematic because these crimes have different primary protective interests and the victims have different roles in the investigation and litigation process. From a victim's perspective, the categorization of the crime is crucial because the status of plaintiff, as is required for the possibility for financial redress and other legal rights, is assessed in Sweden by how the offense is classified. It is therefore important for the victims of human trafficking to be identified and categorized correctly in order to be defined as plaintiffs and obtain protection under criminal law. As a result of all these factors, the intended enhanced legal protection for victims of trafficking in Sweden is lost.

Il lavoro concerne il tema del contrasto patrimoniale alla criminalità organizzata e la confisca di prevenzione ante delictum (art. 24, d.lgs. n. 159/2011). Lo spregiudicato ricorso a questo strumento ha creato una confusione tra i piani della prevenzione (ante delictum) e della repressione (post delictum) della criminalità. Si nota, inoltre, la tendenza della confisca a sconfinare verso settori d’intervento della giustizia penale differenti da quelli per i quali è espressamente prevista. La Parte prima della tesi è dedicata alla ricostruzione delle origini storiche delle misure di prevenzione patrimoniali, nonché ai presupposti e alle finalità di sequestro e confisca. La Parte seconda affronta il problema della natura giuridica della confisca. Alla dottrina che si è espressa per la sostanziale natura sanzionatoria della misura (formalmente) di “prevenzione”, si oppone la giurisprudenza che la estromette dalla materia penale e dalle garanzie (costituzionali e convenzionali). La Parte terza è dedicata alla ‘sfida’ del principio di proporzione: la verifica della ragionevolezza della confisca secondo il modello del giudizio trilaterale. Nelle conclusioni si espongono delle considerazioni sui rapporti tra prevenzione ante delictum e principio di sussidiarietà, nell’ottica di una valorizzazione dell’idea di gradualità e di promozione dell’uguaglianza tra cittadini. / The work concerns the contrast against organized crime and the preventive confiscation (art. 24, d.lgs. n. 159/2011). The use of confiscation has created a confusion between the plans of crime prevention (ante delictum) and crime repression (post delictum). The first part of the thesis concerns: reconstruction of the historical origins of the preventive system; conditions and purposes of seizure and confiscation. The second part deals with the problem of the legal nature of confiscation. The doctrine has been expressed for substantial punitive measure; jurisprudence excludes confiscation from criminal law and its guarantees. The third part concerns the 'challenge' of the principle of proportionality: the verification of the reasonableness of confiscatione. The conclusions expose the considerations on the relationship between prevention ante delictum and the principle of subsidiarity, to valorize the idea of gradually and of equality between citizens.