"What's the Link?" with Organized Crime

When you hear the term, you might picture a biker gang, or the Italian mob. You’re partly right...but it’s also so much more. In fact, organized crime touches every facet of society, as long as there’s money to be made.

Roughly defined as three or more people involved in criminal activity for profit, organized crime  groups can be big or small, simple or sophisticated.  But make no mistake - even if you’ve never witnessed them first hand, they affect you, and your community, every single day. Read on to find out how...

Click on the pictures to find out "What's the Link?" with Organized Crime.

"What's the Link?" with Organized Crime

Cigarettes

While its tempting to get your smokes for a fraction of the price (and avoid all those government taxes), there's a good reason why you shouldn't. The increasing involvement of organized crime in contraband tobacco means the profit made by these groups - some of which are known to use violence to ensure their profits - is going towards other criminal activity such as gun and drug trafficking. Further, the lure of easy money in this activity is drawing youth to become involved.

So...plain and simple...if you aren't buying your cigarettes legitimately, you're funding criminal activity.

For more information: Customs and Excise

Counterfeit Goods

It seems innocent enough...just a "knockoff" purse at a better price. Who's it hurting?

Unfortunately, a lot of people. Organized crime is behind the manufacture of many counterfeit goods. That means the profits from these items go to organized crime groups, which are involved in a litany of other crimes, (drug trafficking, firearms smuggling, even terrorism).

Another reason not to buy: counterfeit products aren't tested and don't meet any safety standards. That means some items (medications, electrical items) can cause serious personal injury, even death.

For more information: Commercial Crime

Mass Marketing Fraud

Most don’t want to admit it’s happened to them: getting ripped-off by some scam on the internet, the phone, or in the mail. But the statistics are shocking: in Canada, over 1 million victims lose more than $10 billion each year to Mass Marketing and ID Fraud. Most will never get their money back. Fraud overall accounts for nearly $30 billion in losses annually to businesses, people and the government.

Economic crime is one of the fastest growing areas organized crime is getting involved in. Much of the proceeds are used to fund other criminal activities like drug trafficking, illegal weapons purchases and human trafficking.

For more information: Federal Enforcement Program

Human Trafficking

Many aren’t even familiar with the term, but human trafficking is one of the fastest growing forms of crime worldwide. With human trafficking, victims are recruited and kept under another’s control for the purpose of exploitation, usually for sexual purposes or forced labour. Human trafficking can occur across an international border, or foreign and Canadian victims can be trafficked solely within Canada.

It’s been estimated that human trafficking generates approximately $32 billion annually for its perpetrators, drawing active involvement from organized crime groups.

For more information: Immigration and Passport

Marihuana

Before you’ve decided that pot is a pretty harmless drug compared to others, consider this: organized crime is involved in just about every aspect of marihuana production, trafficking and exporting due to its high profitability, profits that are then filtered into a litany of other crimes. Also, marihuana grow operations in residential neighbourhoods threaten our safety due to the risk of fire and explosion, and the violence associated with drug trafficking.

For more information: Drug Enforcement Branch

Street Gangs

Some are easily spotted by their “colours” and dress code; others are more subtle. The composition and membership of street gangs varies greatly, but it’s been estimated that nearly a thousand different gangs exist in urban and rural communities across the country. Recruitment of new members is aggressive, attracting youths as young as 12, and young women who are put to work in the sex trade.

Street gangs are largely active at the retail end of organized crime (eg. drug trafficking). Other criminal activities include prostitution, theft, fraud and weapons offences. Violence and intimidation are commonplace, with innocent members of the community becoming victims of their crimes.

For more information: Criminal Intelligence Service Canada