NCJ Number
190083
Date Published
September 1999
Length
48 pages
Annotation
This paper reviewed organized crime in India.
Abstract
Crime in general is a growing problem in India. The violent crimes that constituted only 8.2 percent of the total registered in 1953 increased to 14.4 percent in 1994. The core organized crime activity was the supply of illegal goods and services, which was deeply involved in legitimate business and in labor unions. There has been no systematic study of organized crime in India from either a sociological or criminological perspective. There were no firm data regarding organized criminal gangs, but the article attempted to give brief profiles of some of the major gangs in metropolitan areas. Organized crime in India included drug trafficking, smuggling, money laundering, terrorism and narco-terrorism, trafficking in illicit arms, contract killings, kidnapping for ransom, illegal immigration, and prostitution. The article included case studies of several notorious murders and a case involving terrorist funding. Problems in trying to control organized crime in India included an inadequate legal structure, difficulties in obtaining proof, the slow pace of trials and low conviction rates, lack of resources and training, lack of coordination, dual criminality, and the criminal, political, and bureaucratic nexus. The article suggested that efforts to combat organized crime should include strengthening criminal laws, improving local and international coordination and creating specialized units, political commitment, public awareness, and expanding the role of the mass media. Tables, appendixes, references, notes