Globalisation and Crime - Coursework Example

Globalisation and Crime Introduction The global economy has been tremendously transformed by globalisation inthe last forty years. The spread of technology and ideas across borders facilitated new trade avenues, hence leading to the creation of new markets and expansion of the existing markets. However, in the globe of free trade, nations can access goods and services from all corners of the world. Flows of trade and the lines of communication opened among people. The section of globalisation is a very complicated network of illicit markets that range from arms and drugs trafficking to the trafficking of humans into prostitution and slavery. All this illicit industries, or black markets, are the globalisation product. They are representing some of the gravest challenges in all societies spanning the world, jeopardising international security and safety (Jenner, 2011). One of the most profitable and largest of these industries is the illicit drugs market. It is estimated at over $500 billion annually; the drug trade is an international business that has been sustained for over forty years. The worldwide market for drugs is composed of many interconnected process that range from cultivation to consumption, and they attempt to satisfy the insatiable demand of the sector. The most troublesome of these process is the drug trafficking. The practice is the crucial and the most dangerous phase of the illegal drug market (Jenner, 2011). Thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs transported across the international borders every day, leaves the hands of violent traffickers, and enters the lives of addicts and drug dealers (Sergey, 2007). In addition, every week, hundreds of people are killed in incidents that are directly related to drug trafficking. However, several worldwide efforts to stop the drug trafficking issues have happened, but they have yielded marginal success (Jenner, 2011). Therefore, due to the increasing globalisation, a new scale of criminological analysis for instance, the drug trafficking need to be developed and should be beyond the national states. The reason is the huge implications it might have and, therefore, the study focuses on analysing drug trafficking. Implication of the Drug Trafficking The worldwide illegal drug trafficking represents a multi-dimensional problem that have implications for the international community. Some of the common drugs trafficked internationally include heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. International illegal drug trade can undermine regional stability and political and bolster the capabilities and role of the criminal organisations in the drug trafficking. The key regions that countries such as United States have been attempting to combat transit and production of heroin include Afghanistan and Latin America. The use of drugs and addiction has the potential to affect the social fabric of the communities negatively, hence hinders the economic development, and perhaps, place burden on the national health infrastructures. In addition, the intravenous users of the drug are at risk of contracting diseases for instance Hepatitis B, and HIV/AIDS. In addition, observers suggested that drug trafficking also represents a threat to the international security (Liana, 2015). In addition, the revenue raised from the drug trade provide international drug traffickers with adequate resources to evade most government detection; co-opt legitimate and undermine political, social, and economic systems through extortion, corruption, or violent forms of influence. To some extent, they can penetrate the legitimate structures of an economy through money laundering and, in some instances; they challenge the authority of central governments. In the process, drug traffickers warn that networks of criminal safe havens exist that drug barons operate with impunity (Liana, 2015). For instance, the use of the West Africa as a main cocaine transit hub for drug traffickers from Latin American, the criminal actors prey on governments with a low capacity for effective governance or enforcing the rule of law. However, this would exacerbate pre-existing post-conflict environments, political instability, and economic vulnerability (Liana, 2015). By most accounts, state weakness, drug trafficking, powerful criminal and political corruption, organisations are part of a self-perpetuating cycle. On the other hand, the presence of drug trafficking in a country can undermine political stability, and increase corruption while on the other hand, political and social instability might be the causal factors for attracting a thriving drug industry (Liana, 2015). Furthermore, academic literature on conflict indicates that controlling of a lucrative illegal drug trafficking that is in the hands of an insurgent group, certain rebel or political actor can lengthen duration of a conflict. The outcomes of a thriving illegal drug trade co-located in a zone with conflict are illustrated in Afghanistan today (Hernandez, 2013). Some portion of proceeds from the drug-related activities annually assists in facilitating the insurgency in Afghanistan. In other areas, for instance in the Western Hemisphere, the Americans have been taken hostage, attacked, murdered, and tortured for being involved in counter-narcotics activities, hence highlights the past and ongoing risks that are associated with the international drug trade (Saltzburg, 2009). Nature of Drug Trafficking The integral part of the illegal drug trade is the trafficking. However, without traffickers, the sector would have remote suppliers with no means of delivering goods to their consumer. In other words, drug traffickers are facilitating the globalisation of drug trade. Every year, millions of people are migrating to other countries, for example, to the United States by air, land, or even sea. In addition, these people carry tons of cargo and, therefore, amid such movement of people, the drug barons get a chance to smuggle their drugs. Moreover, the trafficking process consists of three locations that include the production region, one or more regions that are serving as the transshipment centers, and consumption region. However, the key missions of the drug traffickers are getting the drugs from the suppliers and deliver to the consumer without being detected. Their position in the chain is the most significant and, therefore, the most lucrative (Liana, 2015). Individuals, small groups, and very large criminal organisations transact drug-dealing activities. The composition of the drug dealers is made up of producers, wholesale markets, and a network of couriers, laboratories, and retailers, as well as additional units, such as extortionists, killers, and the money launderers. The illegal drug trade is not a centralised structure. This is because of the huge capacity drug market and the necessity of secrecy with an aim of preserving the main units when inauspicious scenarios take place for instance arrests. Nevertheless, some groups or individuals cooperate in order to integrate their information on selling of drugs, counteraction to law-enforcement bodies, conspiracy, and money laundering (Liana, 2015). International Response to Drug Trafficking Reflecting broad consensus, the international efforts of combating drug trade are based on a robust and long-standing multilateral commitments. One of the first multilateral commitments to combat drugs trafficking started with the International Opium Commission of 1909. From then, the international community has deepened and broadened the international drug control through several monitoring mechanisms and international treaties (Liana, 2015). Regional Counterdrug organisations also supplement multilateral efforts worldwide. Such efforts include the American Drug Abuse Control Commission that is drug control arm of the Drug Advisory Programme (DAP) as well as Organisation of American States. Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission serves as the regional policy forum for all aspects of Western Hemisphere illicit drug problems. Drug Advisory Programme supports drug treatment, demand reduction, and rehabilitation in the Pacific regions and Asia (Liana, 2015). However, at the local levels other governments’ decriminalised drugs and permit the use as well as possession, but selling, manufacturing, trafficking, and another process of the drug trade remained illegal. The famous example of decriminalisation of drug happened in the year 1976 when the Netherlands started to tolerate the marijuana through government regulation. Under this program, the possession and use of marijuana are still illegal, but if select sellers and consumers stay within a given guidelines, the police do not enforce the drug laws strictly. In addition, under the Mexicos decriminalisation law, the possession and use of small quantities of drugs is explicitly legal, but any other aspect of the trade remained criminal. The past efforts of domestic and foreign governments proved too feeble to distress the global drug trafficking activities effectively, as it is evidenced by the persistent violence, as well as the sustained size of the market. However, reflecting on the major weaknesses of the antidrug programs and assess them as a whole might elucidate towards a successful drug policy (Morris, 2012). United States got involved in international drug control rests on the key premise that assist foreign governments to combat the drug trade abroad. It was believed that it would ultimately curb illegal drug availability and use in the U.S. The US administration maintained the goal of eliminating and reducing the international flowing of illicit drugs into the U.S. through international cooperation in order to interdict the efforts and disrupt the drug trade. The Early drug policy focused on these groups, and currently criminal laws are attempting to eliminate them. However, in theory, if such programs successfully deterred the street selling and consumption of drugs, the illegal drug market would ultimately collapse without a demand to satiate. It is evident that no matter how many dealers and consumers are incarcerated or penalised, new ones replace them. Additionally, every international response on drug, trafficking endeavours targeted a specific player in the industry: the distributor, the consumer, or the producer. However, they failure to address effectively the fundamental aspect of the drug trade that is truly holding it together, and the framework that propelled the drug trade to the heights it has attained today: the market. However, in terms of the tree analogy, the nourishing industry, fertile soil, and growth are representing the market. The goal of United States efforts on interdiction was to affect the market supply, but these goals misinterpret the market and further incentivise drug dealers by increasing their profits. In order to be more effective, the international drug policy targets the worldwide market. It attempts to erode the soil that is perpetuating the world drug trafficking, and bring the trafficking sector to a stop (Liana, 2015). Conclusion The illegal drug trafficking is a most violent industry that took flight on the wings of globalisation and prohibition. After a failed forty years of ineffective drug policies and war on drugs, the international community is attempting to respond appropriately but something more need to be done in order to combat the ever-growing drug trafficking issues and related violence. However, the universal legalisation presents the most viable solution to the drug dilemma. By attacking the market instead of the market participants, the framework of legalisation can end successfully the violence in the industry and reallocate its profits away from the criminals. In addition, many observers have highlighted the significance of the international drug control policy, particularly due to the nature of the drug trade, while others continue to criticise the existing mechanisms and policies for failing to achieve enough progress in combating illegal drugs. In the end, the global coordination would be vital for a lasting success to combat the international drug trade. References Hernandez, J. (2013). Terrorism, drug trafficking, and the globalisation of supply. Perspectives on terrorism, 7(4), pp.34-35. Jenner, M.S. (2011). International drug trafficking: A global problem with a domestic solution," Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, 18(2), pp.902-927. Liana, R., (2015).International drug control policy: Background and United States responses. Congressional Research Service Report,www.crs.gov, accessed 28th April, 2015. Morris, S.D., (2012). Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Violence in Mexico. The brown journal of world affairs, 18(2), pp.29-43. Saltzburg, S.A., (2009). Proof of a drug trafficking conspiracy.Journal of Criminology Justice, 24(4), pp.36-38. Sergey G., (2007).Drug trafficking through the Russia‐Kasakhstan border:Challenge and responses, Journal of Global Legal Studies,14, pp. 331-343. * Read More