Organized Crime Investigation

ORGANIZED CRIME INVESTIGATION (PRC)

1. Concepts, nature, and attributes of organized crime;
2. Kinds, origin, and modes of operations OC;
3. Transnational or borderless crimes;
4. Kidnapping and terrorism;
5. Cyber/Technology crimes;
6. Organized syndicates;
7. International and national laws, decrees, treaties and
statutes.

Concept of Organized Crime

Organized Crime poses a direct threat to national and
international security and stability, and continues a frontal
attack on political and legislative authority. Organized crimes
disrupt and compromise social and economic institutions, thus
causing a loss of faith in democratic process.

WHAT IS ORGANIZED CRIME?

- An organized criminal group shall mean a structured group
of three or more persons, existing for a period of time
and acting in concert with the aim of committing one or
more serious crimes or offences in order to obtain,
directly or indirectly, a financial or other material
benefit
- All illegal activities engaged in by members of criminal
syndicates operatives throughout the United States and
all illegal activities engaged in by known associates and
confederates of such members. (U.S Department of Justice)
- Group activities of three or more persons, with
hierarchical links or personal relationships, which
permits their leaders to earn profits or control
territories or markets, internal or foreign, by means of
violence, intimidation or corruption, both in furtherance
of criminal activity and to infiltrate the legitimate
economy.
- Any enterprise or group of persons engaged in a
continuing illegal activity which has as its primary
purpose the generation of profits and continuance of the
enterprise regardless of national borders. (INTERPOL,
according to P.J. Ryan and G.E. Rush)
- any group having some manner of formalized structure and
whose primary objective is to obtain money through
illegal activities(FBI, according to H. Abaddinsky)
- Is any crime committed by a person occupying, in a
established division of labor, a position designed for
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the commission of crimes providing that such division of

labor includes at least one position for corrupter, one
position for corruptee, and one position for an
enforcer(FBI)

For Organized Group to Work usually it has at least the

following:
1. AN ENFORCER
2. A CORRUPTER
3. A CORRUPTEE

1. AN ENFORCER
The one who makes for the arrangements for the killing
(injuring or carrying out the task physically, economically or
psychologically) the members or non-members.

2. A CORRUPTER
The one who corrupts or bribes, intimidate or threatens,
negotiate or “sweet talks” into a relationship with public
officials, law enforcement officer, or anyone who would be of
help in obtaining security and immunity from possible arrest,
prosecution and punishments.

3. A CORRUPTEE
A public officials, law enforcement officers or anybody who
not a member of the organization who can helps the organization

CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANIZED CRIMES

- It is a conspiracy activity involving coordination of
members.
- Economic gain is the primary goal.
- Economic goal is achieved through illegal means.
- Employs predatory tactics such as intimidation,
violence and corruption.
- Effective control over members, associates and
victims.
- Organized crimes do not include terrorists dedicated to
political change.

ATTRIBUTES OF ORGANIZED CRIMES

1. Has no political goal
2. Is hierarchical
3. Has a limited or exclusive membership
4. Constitute a unique subculture
5. Perpetuates itself
6. Exhibits a willingness to use illegal violence and bribery

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7. Demonstrates specialization/ division of labor

8. Is monopolistic
9. Is governs by explicit rules and regulations

1. Has no Political Goals

Organized crime is basically motivated by money and
power. It is not social doctrine neither political belief
nor ideological concerns that motivated leaders and members
of the organized crime groups. Political involvement may be
part of its activities for the purpose of gaining protection
for its illegal activities.

2. Hierarchical
An organized crime has a vertical power structure with at
least three (3) ranks. The authority is inherent in the position
and does not depend on who happens to be occupying it at any
given time.

3. Limited or Exclusive Membership

The criteria such as ethnic background, race, kinship,
criminal record and other similar consideration seems to be the
basis for membership in an organized crime group.
Sponsorship by a ranking members and behavior
characteristics also plays important factors for recruitment such
as but not limited to: willingness to commit criminal act, follow
the rules and regulations and secrecy in the organization.

4. Constitute a unique subculture

Members of the organized crime group considered themselves
distinct from the conventional society. They look at the society
as “weak and stupid” and treat them with derisions if not
contempt, and therefore not subject to its rules. This is
sometimes referred to as “the underworld”.

5. Perpetuates itself
An organized criminal group constitutes an ongoing criminal
conspiracy designed to persist through time; that is, beyond the
life of the current membership. In order for the group to
survive, it must have an institutionalized process for inducting
new members and inculcating them with the values and ways of
behaving of the social system. This is shown by the depth of the
sub-cultural orientation exhibited by the group.

6. Willingness to use Illegal Violence and Bribery

Violence is readily available and acceptable in an organized
crime group as a means to achieve its goal. Bribery becomes

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necessary so as to protect its operation and insure lesser chance

of detection and suppression.

7. Specialization/Division of Labor
There is a need for established functional position filled
with qualified members. Commonly, there is a need for:
(1) an enforcer, one who carries out difficult assignments
involving the use of violence, including murder, in a rational
manner. He may use members or non members or even a specialist to
carry out the assignment; and
(2) a corrupter (fixer/money mover), excels in developing
contacts.

8. MONOPOLISTIC
An organized crime group eschew competition. It strives for
hegemony over a particular geographic area, a particular
“industry”, legitimate or illegitimate, or a combination of both.
A monopoly, of course, restrains “free trade” and increases
profits. An organized crime monopoly is maintained by violence,
by the threat of violence, or by corrupt relationships with law
enforcement officials. A combination of both methods, violence
and corruption, may be employed.

9. GOVERNS BY EXPLICIT RULES AND REGULATION

An organized crime group, like a legitimate organization,
has a set of rules and regulations that members are expected to
follow.
In an organized crime group, however, a rule-violating
member is not fired but, more likely, fired upon

STRUCTURE OF ORGANIZED CRIME GROUPS

 The bureaucratic / Corporate model
 Patrimonial/ Patron Client

 The Bureaucratic/ Corporate Model

The corporation, the police, and the military are examples
of bureaucracies, that mode of organization essential for
efficiently carrying out large scale tasks.

 Patrimonial/ Patron Client

It is a characteristic of traditional societies that centers
on families, patrons and their clients, and other personalities
networks.

GENERIC TYPE OF ORGANIZED CRIMES

1. Political Graft

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- committed by political criminals for purposes of

gaining profit though violence or force for the attainment of
political goals or ambitions such as used of private armies,
buying of votes or threatening voters.

2. In-Group Oriented Organized Crime

- manned by semi-organized individual with the end view
of attaining psychological gratification such as adolescent
gangs.

3. Mercenary/Predatory organized crime

- perpetuated for the attainment of direct personal gain
but prey upon unwilling victims.

4. Syndicated Crimes
- comes with a structure organization that participates
in illicit activity in society using force, or intimidation.

TYPICAL ORGANIZED CRIME ACTIVITIES

1. THEFT and FRAUD
a. Victimizing business:
 Hijacking of cargo trucks
 Robbery
 Bankruptcy fraud (“bust-out”)
 Insurance Fraud
 Stock Fraud (Inside Trading)
b. Victimizing individual persons:
 Car theft (chop-shop or export)
 Burglary (robbery in a building)
 Stock Fraud (pump and dump scam)
c. Victimizing State:
 Bid-rigging public projects
 Counterfeiting of Money
 Smuggling (Alcohol –bootlegging; Cigarettes – butt
legging)

2. PROVIDING ILLEGAL SERVICES and GOODS

 Loan Sharking  Gambling

 Murder for hire  People Smuggling

 Book making  Prostitution

 Toxic Substance  Trafficking in human

beings

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 Drug Trafficking  Arms dealing

 Pornography

3. BUSINESS and LABOR RACKETEERING

 Casino skimming
 Setting up monopolies in rigid market low tech
industries.
 Bid-rigging
 Abusing labor unions
 Extortion (e.g. construction, transport, etc.)
 Use of non-union labor and pocketing the wage
difference.
 Monopolizing the supply of immigrant workers with the
associated people; smuggling.

4. Miscellaneous Activities:
 Money laundering;
 Political corruptions;
 Bullying; and
 And Piracy.

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