Transnational organised crime is a phenomenon with multiple facets which has grown exponentially. Organised criminal groups are spreading their operations around the globe and engaging with an increased level of sophistication in a variety of activities that range from the traditional to the modern.
As Professor Pino Arlacchi, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, has pointed out, organised criminal groups are evolving, moving away from more traditional, Mafia-type organisations, and display a remarkable ability to shift across borders and from activity to activity with speed and adaptability that would be the envy of any legitimate business.
