UN raises alarm over organised crime
The UN's drugs and crime office has launched a new media awareness
campaign to highlight the threat of organised crime groups around the
world.
International crime rackets pull in an estimated annual turnover of $US 870 billion, according to a statement issued by the UNODC on Monday.
The report went on to say that the sum was the equivalent of 1.5 per cent of global GDP or six times the amount officially spent on development aid around the world.
"Transnational organised crime reaches in to every region and every country across the world," said Yury Fedotov, executive director of UNODC.
"Stopping this transnational threat represents one of the international community's greatest global challenges."
UNODC'S multimedia campaign will underline the huge sums of money involved in organised crime, which covers everything from drug and arms trafficking to cyber crime to the smuggling of migrants.
And it will stress that these are anything but victimless crimes.
"Crime groups can destabilise countries and entire regions, undermining development assistance in those areas and increasing domestic corruption, extortion, racketeering and violence," the UNODC's statement said.
The agency identified drug trafficking as by far the most lucrative trade for criminals, estimating its worth as $US 320 billion per year.
The counterfeiting of goods, it said, brought in $US 250 billion annually.
Human trafficking and migrant smuggling totals an estimated $39 billion a year; while trading of ivory and animal parts generates $3.5 billion in criminal revenue.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-16/an-un-crime-report/4132782?section=australianetworknews
International crime rackets pull in an estimated annual turnover of $US 870 billion, according to a statement issued by the UNODC on Monday.
The report went on to say that the sum was the equivalent of 1.5 per cent of global GDP or six times the amount officially spent on development aid around the world.
"Transnational organised crime reaches in to every region and every country across the world," said Yury Fedotov, executive director of UNODC.
"Stopping this transnational threat represents one of the international community's greatest global challenges."
UNODC'S multimedia campaign will underline the huge sums of money involved in organised crime, which covers everything from drug and arms trafficking to cyber crime to the smuggling of migrants.
And it will stress that these are anything but victimless crimes.
"Crime groups can destabilise countries and entire regions, undermining development assistance in those areas and increasing domestic corruption, extortion, racketeering and violence," the UNODC's statement said.
The agency identified drug trafficking as by far the most lucrative trade for criminals, estimating its worth as $US 320 billion per year.
The counterfeiting of goods, it said, brought in $US 250 billion annually.
Human trafficking and migrant smuggling totals an estimated $39 billion a year; while trading of ivory and animal parts generates $3.5 billion in criminal revenue.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-16/an-un-crime-report/4132782?section=australianetworknews
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