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Please tell us why. Drugs make up an extremely large part of the income of most criminal organizations, some completely funded by it.

by f00_ 13y ago

wil421 13y ago
Most traditional organized crime groups were focused more on vice than drugs. Vice being gambling, prostitution/human trafficking, and loan sharking. Recently crime syndicates have started to develop malware and card skimmers. The drug trade is a portion of organized crime.
- runeks 13y ago
  > Most traditional organized crime groups were focused more on vice than drugs. Vice being gambling, prostitution/human trafficking, and loan sharking. I find it interesting that all the areas that you mention are sources of revenue for organized crime are either illegal or restricted activities. * Gambling: illegal many places. * Prostitution: illegal many places. * Human trafficking: heavy regulation on immigration (if the trafficked women were to go to the authorities to report it, they'd be transported back to their country of origin) * Loan sharking: illegal many places (a ceiling is put on the interest rate one can legally charge) Imagine if we didn't criminalize the above, and allowed free immigration: would there be anything left for organized crime to make money on?
aestra 13y ago
PLENTY of organized crime has nothing do with drugs. A huge subset of organized crime is involved in counterfeiting - which is a billion dollar industry by itself. Counterfeiting consumer products (designer purses, shoes...) medication, and even FOOD. Yes, food is a big one. https://reportingproject.net/occrp/index.php/en/cc-blog/1758.. https://reportingproject.net/occrp/index.php/en/cc-blog/1758.... As well as other form of crime - prostitution and human trafficking, gun running, identity and credit card theft and other "cybercrimes," and "legal" debt slavery.
- xixi77 13y ago
  The argument wasn't that drugs were the only area in which organized crime operates; it was that it is by far the biggest one (although I have even harder time considering prostitution to be a crime). But, other things are criminal already, and just because an ability to monitor financial transactions makes some forms of crime more difficult, does not by itself make it a good idea. Surely if domestic law enforcement had the same powers that NSA has would make a lot of crime harder, and allow police to catch thousands of real criminals -- but, would it be a good idea?

Please tell us why. Drugs make up an extremely large part of the income of most criminal organizations, some completely funded by it.

by f00_ 13y ago

Please tell us why. Drugs make up an extremely large part of the income of most criminal organizations, some completely funded by it.

wil421 13y ago

Most traditional organized crime groups were focused more on vice than drugs. Vice being gambling, prostitution/human trafficking, and loan sharking. Recently crime syndicates have started to develop malware and card skimmers. The drug trade is a portion of organized crime.

runeks 13y ago
> Most traditional organized crime groups were focused more on vice than drugs. Vice being gambling, prostitution/human trafficking, and loan sharking. I find it interesting that all the areas that you mention are sources of revenue for organized crime are either illegal or restricted activities. * Gambling: illegal many places. * Prostitution: illegal many places. * Human trafficking: heavy regulation on immigration (if the trafficked women were to go to the authorities to report it, they'd be transported back to their country of origin) * Loan sharking: illegal many places (a ceiling is put on the interest rate one can legally charge) Imagine if we didn't criminalize the above, and allowed free immigration: would there be anything left for organized crime to make money on?

aestra 13y ago

PLENTY of organized crime has nothing do with drugs. A huge subset of organized crime is involved in counterfeiting - which is a billion dollar industry by itself. Counterfeiting consumer products (designer purses, shoes...) medication, and even FOOD. Yes, food is a big one. https://reportingproject.net/occrp/index.php/en/cc-blog/1758.. https://reportingproject.net/occrp/index.php/en/cc-blog/1758.... As well as other form of crime - prostitution and human trafficking, gun running, identity and credit card theft and other "cybercrimes," and "legal" debt slavery.

xixi77 13y ago
The argument wasn't that drugs were the only area in which organized crime operates; it was that it is by far the biggest one (although I have even harder time considering prostitution to be a crime). But, other things are criminal already, and just because an ability to monitor financial transactions makes some forms of crime more difficult, does not by itself make it a good idea. Surely if domestic law enforcement had the same powers that NSA has would make a lot of crime harder, and allow police to catch thousands of real criminals -- but, would it be a good idea?