Crimes that may have an impact across international borders
Crimes that may have an impact across international borders are referred to as transnational crimes. Within particular nations, transnational crimes happen. However, they violate the standards of the global society. Transnational crimes include dealing in illegal drugs and people. One of the most significant transnational offenses worldwide over the past ten years has been drug trafficking. Additionally, drugs have been charged with aiding terrorism activities. As a result, various initiatives have been made to aid in ending transnational crimes and the use of narcotics to support terrorists. ("Drug trafficking and the financing of terrorism", 2017). The fight against transnational crimes has not been easy as it has been characterized by various impediments which have hindered interdiction of transnational crime and narcotics support to terrorist efforts. This paper discusses the single greatest obstacle for the fight against transnational crimes, which is the link between drug trafficking and the financing of terrorist activities. Most of the terrorism efforts are well financed and properly organized by cartels, making it difficult for most of the countries.
Most terrorists and drug cartels are illicit groups
Most terrorists that have been arrested have tested positive for drug usage, and have been connected to drug cartels. Both drug traffickers and terrorists are illicit groups that carry out most of their activities in secrecy ("Drug trafficking and the financing of terrorism", 2017). There is a challenge to the authorities because accessing them is hard. Drug cartels deal with huge amounts of money, and if they use it to finance terrorist operations, then it becomes hard to trace. Both groups make the situation worrisome, considering the number of people involved. For instance, drug traffickers include a long chain of people, who make it hard to trace the main people behind the conspiracy.
The use of drug money in facilitating terrorism activities
Out of drug money, it is difficult to estimate how much of the money is used to facilitate acts of terror. For instance, in the year 2006 in Afghanistan, the total value of opium harvest was close to $US3.1 billion. Also, in earlier years, the same country had been reported to exports tons of cocaine. Without the inclusion of other available drugs, those two alone contribute a great sum of money. The amount is not reflected in infrastructural or personal development, and most people have not improved their living standards (Nerlich, 2010). Instead, what has been witnessed are attacks of terror and war. This leads to the question of how much of the drug money is used to facilitate terrorism activities. Even if not the whole amount of drug money is spent on financing terrorists, only a portion is sufficient to execute terrorism attacks.
The use of drugs as currency for terrorism acts
Initially, some terrorism plans used to fail because of insufficient funding or unavailability of enough weapons to execute their plans. Currently, drugs are used as an agent of trade or currency for terrorism acts. For instance, after the terrorist attacks that happened in Madrid, further investigations proved that drugs were used as currency in the execution of the plans. Drug money also offers funding to purchase weapons and explosives for an attack. Terrorists have also in the past, used drugs to recruit more members to their groups (Nerlich, 2010). This is by taking advantage of drug addicts by giving them drugs to lure them into joining the groups.
The role of organizations in curbing transnational crimes
Organizations such as the United Nations have tried to put into place a couple of laws and regulations to curb such transnational crimes, especially in war ton countries. The legislation has not proved successful, but neither has it been in vain. It helps regulate most of the terrorism activities and facilitate the fight against drugs. However, financing from drug cartels has been a major problem in the struggle.
References
Drug trafficking and the financing of terrorism. (2017). Unodc.org. Retrieved 30 November 2017, from http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/drug-trafficking-and-the-financing-of-terrorism.html
Nerlich, V. (2010). Core Crimes and Transnational Business Corporations. Journal Of International Criminal Justice, 8(3), 895-908. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jicj/mqq039
