Different Types of Organized Crime in Canada Essay -- Criminal Justic

Different Types of   Organized Crime in Canada   Organized crime in Canada has many faces. The people who engage in organized crime are as varied as the types of organized crimes they engage in. There are essentially four categories of organized crime in Canada. These four categories are: (A) Aboriginal organized crime groups, (B) Outlaw motorcycle gangs, (C) Traditional Italian Mafia crime groups, ethnic groups such as Asian Triads and Vietnamese gangs, (D) Colombian cartels and emerging crime groups from Russia and Nigeria (Beare 1996: 75). Any of these groups could potentially be linked to such illegal activity as: the trafficking of narcotics, extortion, loan-sharking, various types of frauds, smuggling of cigarettes, alcohol, weapons and people (illegal aliens), pornography, prostitution, murder, and gambling. It is true that any of the groups mentioned in the above categories could be involved in any of the crimes just mentioned. However each category tends to have certain crimes that it commits with regularity, crimes th at, that particular group may specialize in.As well these groups tend to have certain crimes that they do not touch. Perhaps they stay away from a particular crime because it is the speciality of a stronger group. A look into which groups do which crimes will be helpful.   Aboriginal organized crime groups tend to deal with crimes that many people do not consider a big problem. These groups tend to focus on the smuggling of cigarettes and alcohol. Aboriginal groups also tend to take part in the founding of illegal gambling facilities. Although these offences in and of themselves may appear to be rather innocent; the large amount of money involved in these enterprises soon changes the nature of the game... ...ent of all the cocaine consumed in Canada and the United States (Beare 1996: 86). The Colombian cartels control the bulk of the cocaine market through out most of the western world. Enforcement officials are only just begging to understand the extent and the sophistication of the Colombian cartels' criminal activities here in Canada. The links that the Colombians are making with other criminal groups could prove to be very dangerous.   This has been a brief overview of the different categories of organized crime one can find in Canada. The only good to be said about all of this is that at least there are many different groups. True it makes the groups harder to track down. But if one group controlled it all they would be impossible to stop. Reference: Beare Margaret 1996 Criminal Conspiracies Organized Crime in Canada. Nelson Canada, Scarborough, Ont.