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Organized Crime in the Netherlands

NCJ Number
179151
Author(s)
Cyrille Fijnaut; Frank Bovenkerk; Gerben Bruinsma; Henk van de Bunt
Date Published
1998
Length
257 pages
Annotation
This national study of organized crime in the Netherlands, prepared for the Commission of the Dutch Parliament that recently investigated the regulation and use of undercover policing, analyzes contemporary manifestations of traditional organized crime and whether organized crime has penetrated legitimate sectors of the Dutch economy.
Abstract
Special attention is paid to the role of the liberal professions and the banking system and to organized criminal groups' use of counter-strategies such as corruption, intimidation, violence, and disinformation. The study explores the nature, seriousness, and scale of organized crime in the Netherlands; the use, legitimacy, reliability, and effectiveness of methods used to investigate organized crime; and the organization, functioning, and supervision of investigations. The study also considers problems associated with defining organized crime and possibilities and limitations of organized crime research. Effects of organized crime on society are discussed, along with the reliability of police data on organized crime, specific criminal groups, organized crime in legitimate sectors of the economy (entertainment, gambling, transportation, construction, waste disposal, and garment sectors), fraud, and money laundering. Additionally, the focus is on contemporary manifestations of traditional organized crime--drug and firearms trafficking, proceedings of criminal activity, car theft, the use of violence, and domestic and foreign organized criminal groups. Bridges between organized crime and the legitimate world are examined, with emphasis on criminal proceedings and money laundering. Appendixes describe the study's analytical framework. 167 references