LAW

Illicit Drug Trade

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Role of Globalization on Crime and Global Markets2

Drug-Related Threats7

Marijuana7

Cocaine 8

Heroin8

Precursor Chemicals8

Methamphetamine9

MDMA (Ecstasy)9

Hashish and Hashish Oil9

Steroids and Other Drugs10

Organized Crime's Involvement in the Illicit Drug Trade and Venezuela10

Types of Drugs Trafficking10

Background of the Chosen Market-Venezuela11

Illicit Drug Trade in Venezuela11

Economic, Social, Political and Law Enforcement Implications14

Conclusion16

References18

Illicit Drug Trade

Introduction

Organized crime has globalized becoming one of the leading economic powers and armies of the world. It describes on the main traffic flow of drugs (cocaine and heroin), firearms, counterfeit, stolen natural resources, and trafficking of persons for forced labor, as well as smuggling of migrants. It also covers maritime piracy and cybercrime. It has been observed that how illicit flows affect the world. Currently, the illicit market spans the globe: the illicit goods from a continent to be trafficked through another, and are marketed in a third. Transnational crime has become a threat to peace and development, even for the sovereignty of nations. The criminals not only use guns and violence, but also money and bribes to buy elections, politicians and power - including military (White 2011).

The illicit trade equally affects all nations, both at the Group of G8 and Brazil, the Russian Federation, India and China, as well as regional powers of nations. As the world's largest economies are also the biggest markets for illegal trade, its leaders must work with the United Nations to fight against the organized crime more effectively (Phillips 2005).

This paper aims to analyze a problem of increasing importance in the international community, namely the relationship between the role of globalization which is affecting our society and global markets. In addition, we will be discussing the differing nature and extent of organized crime's involvement in the illicit drug trade and the chosen black market of Venezuela. Further, we will be analyzing the economic, social, and political and law enforcement implications of the illicit drug trade in terms of the chosen black market of Venezuela.

Role of Globalization on Crime and Global Markets

The organized crime takes advantage of all opportunities offered by globalization of markets and new technologies of communication and management of information. The international nature of the activity of money laundering illicit origin, for example, confirms that it is the criminal activity that could be of more advantaged and revolutionized by the development of technology and communication.

The term globalization includes different aspects, as mentioned below (Parker et al. 1987):

1.Progressive "global" integration of markets for goods and services due to the reductions of former - artificial and natural - trade barriers.

2.Cross-country production processes by transnational companies or associations (global sourcing)

3.As a result of two things: increasing integration of labor markets in the sense that is true for larger sections of the law of one price.

4.Completed global integration of financial markets

5.Increasing cross-border flows of information

6.Increasing perception (whether right or wrong) that significant problems are of the global nature and require supranational solutions (prime example: climate problem).

Transnational organized crime poses a serious threat to the systems' economic and financial aspects of all states and must be tackled effectively internationally ...