Introduction
Historically, transnational crime was analyzed primarily as a law and order problem rather than an issue of international security. Today, transnational crime has become a threat to the sovereignty of governments, reliability of financial institutions, and the functioning of democracy. For this matter, transnational crime graduates from its accustomed place of a national phenomenon and becomes a global security issue that requires an international approach to tackle. The seriousness of transnational crime is apparent. Transnational crime is cancer that is eating the legitimacy of some states. Because of its cancerous nature to the wellbeing of some states, there is a need to streamline ways in which states deal with transnational crime. Re-examination of the ways in which the states conceptualize crimes in terms of its reasons for growth, prevention and, effectiveness of the methods used to fight crime is required. This paper explores the problem of international crime with specific coverage of a gang group called Snakeheads from China and how Human Intelligence could be used to solve the problem.
Discussion and Background
International crime, in my view, is possibly a function and a consequence of poverty. Poverty plays a fundamental role in not only legitimizing crime but also making crime a necessity for survival. Whereas technological expansion, availability of the market, and efficient international network for illegal materials fuel crime, the driving engine for crime is the failure of some states to provide human security. Human security encompasses personal security manifested in the wellbeing of an individual. Aspects of human security include food security, health security, and job security amongst others. The weakness or unreliability of a state creates an opportunity for poverty because of limited opportunities. This makes the population to be vulnerable to consider crime as an option. Insecurity is likely in areas that are underdeveloped economically. In such areas, criminals replace the state as the source of human security in the forms of jobs and security. The Nigerian Mafia is an example of a criminal gang that has used poverty as a way of legitimizing its actions and winning a chunk of hopeless Nigerian youth. Poverty is in this case a function of the failure of the states to provide for the citizens in matters most relevant.
States that are poor economically but rich in resources are likely to be unstable. The instability creates room for insecurity. Criminals make use of instability to marshal support and organize networks. Instability makes accessing technology and resources to be possible for criminals. With the available technology, poor but ambitious youth get training to become sophisticated criminals while earning some cash as rewards. The available market for illegal goods and services in the global arena makes the trade in the illegal goods lucrative. Moreover, corruption in such state’s government enables the criminal gangs to maneuver through the justice system if they are caught. Instability of the state creates an environment for criminals to control drug trafficking, cultivation, production, and trade in natural resources without interference from the states. For example, the dismantling of the USSR in 1989 led to the formation of loosely controlled borders that are prone to criminal activities arising from the government’s inability to staff these border areas.
Poverty creates desperation on the people. There is the desire to move from one area to another by the use of any means available. Human traffickers use the poor’s desperation to force them into human trafficking cartels in the hope of finding a better life in the developed countries. Most of the time, the poor in the less developed states are unaware that they are initiated into a complex and interconnected web of criminals that thrive on the suffering of others. Because of the promise of a better life and the lure of living in a developed world, the poor people simply agree to sign documents that are tying and makes them properties instead of people. Human trafficking is thus an example of how poverty is critical in the development of international crime. Fred Schreisher in the article Human Trafficking, Organized Crime & Intelligence defines intelligence as “information plus analysis equals intelligence” For the success of this definition, there must be a distinction between collected information and produced intelligence. For clarity, the absence of analysis means absence of intelligence.
With increased awareness of the internalization of crime, there have been attempted methods to combat transnational crime by ways international police systems. Because of the fluidity of international criminals, it was easy for criminals to avoid capture by moving from one country to another. The international community devised an international police system called the Interpol that would be responsible for international crime. The Interpol was established in 1923 and boasts of a membership of 179 countries across the world. They share information by having a common database for international crime involving stolen goods. This helps in speeding up the process extradition of criminals. The Interpol is thus the only global police force that has been given the mandate to help in tackling crimes that occur across the borders. However, the Interpol faces two challenges. First, it bases its premise on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights while avoiding to take a political role in any issue. The institution faces problems when it has to deal issues of racism, prejudice of member countries. How does it deal with a state having issues of human rights violations? Second, the Interpol has a limited budget to conduct its operations since it bases on the contributions of its member countries. This limited budged limits the possibility of having a viable international police force to tackle international crime. Due to lack of concrete information on the operations of organized crime, HUMINT comes out the best alternative for the penetration of the high ranks of organized criminals.
Another effort used to combat international crime is the use of the Europol as a continental police force in all the twenty-seven member states of the European Union. In 1990s, the Europol was founded to combat drug trafficking in the European Union. Europol has grown to become a central agency in law enforcement, in Europe today. The Europol is tailored to combat international crimes and terrorism, but its niche is thwarted by political nature of the organization. There is the possibility of issues in the European to be politicized. When this happens, the issues become subject of votes thus limiting law enforcement.
Because of the nature of the nature of international crime, police forces dealing with international crime a difficult task. Perhaps because international crime is a human security issue and applying hardcore state mechanism do not solve the root causes. A new strategy needs to be developed by the states that focus on the improvement of human life at the grassroots and realizing economic development. I think the best way to deal with crime is to empower people, distribute resources equally, and create a society that is productive and fair. This will be a long time project, but it will pay dividends better than state machineries that arrests the victims instead of healing the problem. Transnational crime undermines national and international security as well as disrupting the health of social and economic developments of nation-states.
SECTION 2
The HUMINT organization with the capability of conducting intelligence operations that would aid in stagnating trans-national securities concerns such as human trafficking and drug and narcotics is the Central Intelligence Agency. The Central Intelligence Agency is often cloaked in a mystery. Most people often think that spying is the only duty of the CIA. While CIA’s main duty is covert intelligence gathering, it is not the only thing that the CIA does. The CIA’s chief mission is gathering information from foreign countries. The CIA then evaluates the information and puts in a report. The history of the CIA stems from the Revolutionary wars against the British. However, starting from the 1880s, both the US Army and the US Navy had intelligence organizations. Still, the intelligence organizations were not consolidated until the end of the Second World War. In 1942, Office of Strategic Services was formed to coordinate military intelligence. In 1947, Congress passed the National Security Act which officially established the National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Because of the nature of the nature of international crime, police forces dealing with international crime a difficult task. Perhaps because international crime is a human security issue and applying hardcore state mechanism do not solve the root causes. A new strategy needs to be developed by the states that focus on the improvement of human life at the grassroots and realizing economic development. I think the best way to deal with crime is to empower people, distribute resources equally, and create a society that is productive and fair. This will be a long time project, but it will pay dividends better than state machineries that arrests the victims Instead of healing the problem. Transnational crime undermines national and international security as well as disrupting the health of social and economic developments of nation-states. However, before such mechanisms are put in place, it is the duty of a well organized outfit such as the Central Intelligence Agency to collect relevant facts on the supposed criminal groups. The CIA’s main objective in this operation is to obliterate the functionality of transnational criminal groups and deny them any organizational strategies by becoming moles in their gangs.
The organization that is directly involved to the concerns of transnational crimes is the office of transnational issues. The office applies unique functional expertise that assesses existing and emerging threats to the United States security while providing the most secure advice. In addition to helping the United States with military advice, the office of Transnational Issues in the CIA is solely mandated to ensure better engagement in terms of logistics, illicit arm transfers, money laundering, as well as having the methodological and expertise to analyze the trending situations. In transnational crimes, office of the transnational Issues would be the most relevant in the operation to lodge out international crimes.
Another organization that we would be helpful in combating transnational crime is the Special Organization Division. The SOD is a DEA organization but is multi- agency with branches all over. The jobs of the SOD include coordination and participation with the Federal Law enforcement agencies such as the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, as well as international law enforcement organizations such as the Interpol and police of various countries. The sole goal of this organization is dismantling national and international drug and human rings that are organized in and outside the United States. The focus is usually narcotics and human traffic organizations. The organization is helpful in providing law enforcement agencies with timely information, ensuring tactical problems are solved, and sharing of information between security teams.
The SNAKE HEADS: INTERNTIONAL CRIMINALS
- Origin/reasons the group began
The Snakeheads are Chinese gangs that are engaged in illegal immigration of people from China to wealthier nations across the world. The name snakehead arises from the “image of slithering from point to point along “clandestine routes”. The group gained notoriety in 1990s when they established upon existing drug routes and illegal immigration routes. Snakeheads originated from Fujian region of China. Snakeheads differ on structures and methods of operations across different countries in terms of organization and methods of operation. The Chinese word for snakehead is shetou.
There is no available information about the number of snakeheads. It is hard to estimate the number of people smuggled by “snakeheads” from China to the United States. This is because illegal immigrants are not counted in any census. In 1994, there were about 100,000 Fujianese living in New York City, and an additional 10,000 entering each year.
- Goals
SECTION 3
Operation to Hunt Down the Remnants of the Snakehead Criminal Groups
- After realizing that the snake heads pose a serious threat to the security of the United States and other countries, the first step in combating them includes enhancing the U.S intelligence collection, analysis and counter-intelligence. This step also includes working together with the authorities in China, Japan and the United States. While undertaking this operation, it is important to develop synergy and to make sure that the operation actually supports operation of law enforcement.
- The second step would be strengthening ties between the CIA, the criminal investigation department of China upon which the organization comes from. This would also require making friendship with the community, Federal, state and the local community. Being a member of the community allows the HUMINT office to camouflage and understand the dynamics of the society.
- Use Humint activities such as interrogation (the process of asking questions to regular people for the sake of gaining leverage), surveillance which refers to monitoring movements, documenting patterns, and structure of the Snakehead operation. While working in the Snakehead program, it would be important for a CIA officer to join the community and act as someone who would like to sell some drugs or would want to be trafficked. With time, the “spie” would swear allegiance to the organization and work hard to gain loyalty and possibly hold a position.
- The issues that would require coordination includes communication, legal issues such as extradition, and law enforcement. It would also be important to consider safety of the individual planted as a mole and to gain respect of the Chinese authority that it is in their best interest to work hand in hand with the American CIA.
