Transnational crime is defined as "any form of activity undertaken across borders that is considered illegal by at least one of the countries involved." The main cause for the expansion of transnational crime is social modernization, a general concept that encompasses multiple processes: urbanization, secularization, industrialization, democratization, etc. As transnational crime increases, its operations are increasingly sophisticated and marked by cooperation between syndicates. In Canada, criminal gangs that originate from all parts of the world take advantage of opportunities, particularly in drugs and other black market trafficking, money laundering, and immigration. This affects the security of Canadians by spreading violence, threatening economic welfare, and aggravating social ills. It threatens the Canadian state and other political institutions through corruption and the public mistrust of the political system this engenders. International security and hence Canadian security and foreign interests are also affected, as crime creates rogue regimes, fosters problems among states, and contributes in a variety of ways to more conflict in the system. Transnational crime in Canada has not reached the magnitude that would cause agencies to feel an urgent need to cooperate at high levels; however, many officials view such cooperation and coordination favorably. 41 notes