U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Transnational Crime in the Pacific Islands: Real or Apparent Danger?

NCJ Number
215703
Author(s)
Rob McCusker
Date Published
March 2006
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper explores the nature and quality of the available evidence concerning the issues of organized criminal networks to then determine the level of danger related to transnational crime in the Pacific Islands.
Abstract
Transnational crime activity in the Pacific Islands is rendered easier by the absence of government and law enforcement capacity. However, even if government and law enforcement capacity increased and improved, transnational crime would not simply vanish. Dealing with enhanced transnational crime issues depends on effective law enforcement and criminal justice infrastructure. However, the need is most important in understanding the role and impact of facilitating factors such as corruption, document fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. A variety of sources suggest that the Pacific Islands region is an actual or potential transnational crime hub. This paper summarizes the key issues reported in these sources and assesses whether they constitute sufficient evidence of a significant presence of organized criminal networks and the commission of transnational crime. Figures, references