Tough approach to organised crime – Current affairs

Syllabus: GS2/board

Context

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will create a national database of gangsters, criminals who run their gangs from prison, and their accomplices.

Organized crime means: structured, coordinated illegal activities carried out by criminal groups that undermine governance, political stability and the rule of law.
These activities include: the illicit trade in firearms, drugs, endangered species, cultural goods, counterfeit medical products, human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants.
- In addition, organized crime extends to financial crimes such as money laundering and terrorist financing.

According to the Global Organized Crime Index, an instrument to measure the level of organized crime in a country, India is ranked 61st among 193 countries in 2023.
According to estimates, India’s shadow economy accounts for 20%-25% of GDPmuch of which is related to organized crime.
According to a FICCI (Committee against smuggling and counterfeiting activities that destroy the economy) reportOrganized criminal activities such as smuggling and counterfeiting cost the Indian economy approximately ₹1 lakh crore annual.

Political affiliation: Corrupt officials and political connections provide protection but undermine governance.
Illegal trade: Major issues include drug, human and arms trafficking, exacerbated by India’s location on major smuggling routes.
Cybercrime: The increasing use of digital platforms for fraud, money laundering and cybercrime makes enforcement more complex.
Economic impact: Money laundering and counterfeit goods are harmful to the economy and public health.
Weak law enforcement: Limited resources, coordination problems and outdated systems hinder the fight against crime.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): It investigates complex cases of organised crime, corruption, financial fraud and cross-border crime.
National Investigation Agency (NIA): The department focuses on terrorism-related cases, but also deals with organised crime with ties to terrorist networks.
Enforcement Directorate (ED): It investigates financial crimes such as money laundering and foreign exchange law violations linked to organised crime.
Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND): It analyses financial transactions to detect money laundering and terrorist financing linked to organised crime.
Border Security Force (BSF) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) to monitor and control cross-border human smuggling and trafficking.

INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization): It facilitates international police cooperation in the fight against organised crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime and human trafficking.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): The organization works worldwide to combat organized crime, including drug trafficking, human trafficking and money laundering.
Financial Action Task Force (FATF): The focus is on combating money laundering, terrorist financing and financial networks of organised crime.

Dark Web Surveillance: Invest in technologies to monitor and stop organized criminal activity on the dark web, including illicit trade and smuggling.
Coordination and intelligence exchange: Improve coordination between local, regional and central law enforcement agencies to facilitate rapid response and intelligence sharing.
Transnational task forces: Establish transnational task forces that operate across countries to dismantle international criminal gangs.
Extradition treaties: Strengthen extradition agreements with other countries to ensure that suspected organised crime figures cannot escape justice by fleeing across borders.

Source: I.E