Organised Crime in India

What are organised crimes?

Criminal activities carried out by structured groups, with a goal for long term profit earning from illicit activities. 

Types of Organised Crime:

1. Drug Trafficking - cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and sale of drugs across borders.

e.g. Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand) and Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran) 

2. Human Trafficking - illegal trade of humans for forced labour, sexual slavery, commercial sexual exploitation.

3. Arms Smuggling - illegal trade of arms and ammunition across borders

e.g. smuggling racket in Manipur 

4. Cyber crime - online extortion, identity theft, hacking, cyber frauds, cyber terrorism 

e.g. Cambodia based cyber attacks in India in 2024

5. Money Laundering - concealing illegal source of money by placement, layering and integration of money 

e.g. money laundering in Sahara group sales

Impact of Organised Crimes:

1. Social evils 

2. Political influence - criminalisation of politics

3. Corruption in Institutions

4. Economic consequences 

5. Matter of national security 

Factors leading to Organized crime:

1. Linkage between terrorism and organised Crime: 

2. Lack of regulatory compliance especially on borders

3. Poverty, illiteracy, unemployment - organised Crime seem to be source of income for unemployed and poor

Initiatives taken to tackle organised Crime:

1. Legislative framework 

- Bhartiya Nyay Samhita (section 111) deals with definition and penalties 

- Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 

- Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs Act 1985

- Maharashtra Control of Organic Crime Act 1999

2. Institutional measures

- National Investigation Agency 

- Central Bureau of Investigation 

- Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C)

- Financial Intelligence Unit of OECD

- Narcotics Crime Bureau 

3. International coordination 

-United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) 

- United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) 

Conclusion:

Addressing gaps in training, coordination, and international consensus, while critically examining the balance between security and civil liberties, is essential for long-term success. Sustained political will, public awareness, and technological innovation are critical to dismantling organized crime networks effectively.