ABSTRACT
More than 100 celebrities were subpoenaed by the U.S. government in an investigation of shahtoosh wool shawls and scarves, which cost $2000 to $3000 and are popular among the wealthy as status symbols. 1 The wool comes from Tibetan antelopes, an endangered species. Dealers claimed that the wool came from wild goats, but it later was found that illegal killing of Tibetan antelopes occurred, clothing was fashioned illegally from the animals’ hides in other Asian countries, and they were then illegally imported and sold in the United States. In this case crimes were committed in at least three countries, but the overarching offense is transnational in nature. Transnational crime occurs where the planning and execution of a crime involve more than one country. This chapter addresses specific examples of transnational crime and how the changing nature of criminal opportunities is the driving force behind the surge in organized crime across borders.
