The term “organised crime” refers to criminal activity carried out repeatedly for financial gain. Examples could include smuggling, money laundering, human trafficking, etc.

• Gang criminality, racketeering, and syndicated crime are the three main subtypes of organised crime.
• The large-scale forms of gang crime include kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and vehicle theft.
• Racketeering is the practise of an organised criminal organisation using coercion or force to collect money from both legal and illegal companies.
• Providing unlawful goods and services by an organised criminal gang, frequently referred to as the “mafia,” is known as syndicated crime.

There are linkages between organized crime and terrorism, particularly in terms of the funding of extremist groups by criminal networks, and the use of criminal activities to support terrorism. Criminal networks can provide significant financial resources to extremist groups.

• In some cases, terrorist groups and criminal networks may even collaborate in these activities or merge to expand their operations.
• This funding from criminal networks can help to sustain and enhance the capabilities of extremist groups, enabling them to carry out attacks, recruit new members, and expand their operations.
• It also creates a challenge for law enforcement agencies, who must work to disrupt the flow of illicit funds and prevent these groups from accessing the resources they need to carry out their activities.
• Terrorist groups can also use criminal activities to support their operations, including money laundering, counterfeiting, and smuggling of goods and weapons.
• These criminal activities provide a source of funding and resources for terrorist operations and can help to increase their power and influence.
• The linkages between organized crime and terrorism pose a significant threat to global security and stability.

Indian Scenario

• In India, the linkages between the two exist at national and transnational levels. At the national level, both terrorists and those involved in organized crime are within India. At the international level, collaboration exists between transnational syndicates and terrorists from inside and outside India.
• India’s proximity to drug-producing regions like Golden Crescent in the West and Golden Triangle in the East has always been a cause of worry.
• In the Northeast, extortion is the fundamental basis for funding all forms of terrorism. In addition to this, kidnapping has been used extensively for spreading terror and raising funds. Human trafficking, drug trafficking, and gun-running are some of the other criminal activities that have been common in these areas.
• In J&K, counterfeit currency has been a major source of funding for terrorism.
• In the Maoist terror movements, extortion is yet again a common phenomenon. They have also indulged in robberies of banks to fund their movement. There have also been reports of cuts being enforced on drug-yielding crops in the region.
• The Indian Mujahideen have also resorted to crime to raise funds. This includes robberies, kidnappings, etc.
• Governments and law enforcement agencies around the world are working to disrupt these networks and cut off their sources of funding, in order to weaken their ability to carry out their criminal and terrorist activities.

Efforts to counter the linkages between organized crime and terrorism involve targeting the financial networks that support these groups, as well as working to prevent the recruitment of new members and disrupting the supply chains that enable their operations. This requires international cooperation and coordination among law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, and governments around the world.