In a time of rapid social change: Organized crime in Asia and the Pacific

Abstract

This paper examines organized crime in Asia and the Pacific. First is a historical and contextual review of organized crime and efforts to counter it. Followed is an analysis of major social forces around and behind organized crime, from failure of the state, dysfunction of the economy, advanced communications and transportation, globalization, and the lure of profit, to the power of organization. The third part explores organized crime with respect to its organizational bases, criminal activities, business models, and other essential patterns or characteristics. The paper points out that organized crime thrives on rapid, drastic, and multifaceted social change. Asia and the Pacific, as a dynamic region of expanding economic development, deepening political reform, and sweeping cultural transformation, will have to face and fight organized crime and various other forms of criminality in unprecedented volumes, forms, and complexities.