Essay on the Main Characteristics of Organised Criminals !
Some of the characteristic features of organised criminals who are associated with various types of organised crimes deserve particular mention. The sense of unity and solidarity among these criminals is perhaps the root cause of their success in their criminal ventures. It is primarily for this reason that detection of organised crimes has always been a difficult problem for the police and other law enforcement agencies.
Organised criminals have their own leaders and the members of the gang work in perfect harmony and understanding. They have their own codes of ethics. There are instances when participants of such organisations have preferred death rather than divulging the secret of their associates.
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That apart, a perfect division of labour is to be found in the gangs of organised criminals and the members are assigned specific duties in furtherance of a particular organised activity. Thus, the criminals associated with liquor syndicate have a variety of activities to perform in their illegal business.
Some of them are entrusted the job of procuring liquor while others are to manipulate its transmission to the customers. A few of the criminals in the syndicate are to act as watch-dogs and keep their fellow-criminals alert from the dangers of police or other detective agencies so as to escape arrest and punishment.
Besides this, one or two members from the group assume the role of leaders to supervise the smooth working of the syndicate and keep these participants well under control. The task of distribution of booty or earnings to different members of the organisation is generally performed by the ring leader of the gang.
Besides perfect unity and division of labour, organised criminal gangs have to act in close liaison with other organised criminal groups. They cannot afford to be hostile or indifferent to other gangs which are carrying on some other parallel criminal activity. For example, those indulging in gambling dens have to remain in touch with the illicit liquor suppliers and perhaps also with the gang dealing with prostitution.
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At times, two or more organised criminal gangs carry on their respective criminal activities side by side in perfect harmony and mutual understanding without interfering with the business activities of the other. The obvious reason for this mutual trust and co-operation among the criminal gangs carrying on different activites is their consciousness that slightest confrontation with other gang might lead to their detection by the police which would mean destruction, ruin and disbanding of the gang.
With the developing economy, industrial growth and modernisation, the scope of activities for different types of criminal organisations has considerably widened. Today, criminality in an organised form is known to exist on national as well as international plane. Smuggling, illicit sale of wine and women, pick-pocketing, dacoity and gambling are operating throughout India despite intensive police vigil.
There are inter-State gangs carrying on these organised crimes as a regular business. The case of notorious American Swindler Walcott who was convicted in India is a glaring illustration indicating the operation of organised crimes on international level. The gangs of organised criminals operating all over the globe and carrying out their criminal activities undeterred by repressive measures of the law enforcement agencies amply reflect upon their organisational skill, spirit of mutual trust and cooperation and loyalty to their fellowmen.
At the same time, it casts aspersions on the efficacy of the police and detective agencies to tackle these organised offenders effectively. It further makes it clear that even the professional criminals do have regard for the virtues of devotion, honesty, loyalty and fellowmenship and if these noble qualities in them are properly channelised, there is no reason why they cannot be turned into law abiding members of the society.
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Lately, it is being increasingly felt that the incidence of organised crime must be repressed by the government machinery through certain concrete legislative measures. Particularly, the service-crimes which are rampant in the form of syndicates and rackets can be repressed by legalising these services under heavy taxation. Gambling rackets and illicit liquor rackets can effectively be controlled in this manner.
Legalising prostitution in a restricted form through heavy licensing may also control commercialised prostitution to a considerable extent. It could also help eliminate the middlemen who are at the root of most of the evils in the prostitution business. Besides, it would greatly reduce racketeering and forcing of minors into this clandestine trade. These are few measures which may help in liquidation of organised criminals.
The role of media and need for public participation in liquidating organised criminal gangs need hardly be emphasised. Law enforcement agencies find it difficult to bring the gangsters to books without active co-operation of the public and other social service agencies. Therefore, a regular exchange in intelligence between different agencies including the public representatives is of vital importance to suppress organised crimes.
The media, namely, the press, platform and propaganda can play a significant role in mobilising public opinion against these crimes which are a positive danger to the community as also the nation. It hardly needs to be stated that active participation of public in helping the police in apprehending gangsters and unearthing criminal rackets and syndicates is utmost necessary for launching a crusade against organised crime.
It may further be suggested that a high level secret cell be established in the Home Ministry of the Government of India to break the links between politicians, bureaucrats and the criminal gangs and rackets as they pose a direct threat to the internal as well as external security of the country.
While discussing this issue, the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation has admitted before the Vohra Committee that criminal mafia gangs are receiving patronage of almost all the political parties, particularly in the State of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Some political leaders are found even to lead these armed gangs and criminal forces and manipulate their election to State Legislature or the Parliament so that they can exert their political influence in accomplishing their anti-social designs.
These criminal rackets have become so powerful that they have succeeded in corrupting every wing of the governmental mechanism. These rackets are synonymous with economic enterprises and are organised for the purpose of conducting illegal activities operating as legitimate ventures by illegal means.
It is, therefore, necessary that stringent legal measures be launched for combating this intricate national problem. It needs no mention that the ultimate goal of organised crimes being amassing huge profits through illegal means, it results into ruthless exploitation of the poor and at the same time has an adverse effect on the national economy.