ABSTRACT
During the past decade, transnational organized crime has considerably increased its visibility, complexity, and impact. e globalization of criminal networks and advances in technology have signicantly augmented threats made by international criminal organizations to most countries in the world. Transnational organized crime endangers border security; negatively aects public health through the tracking of humans, illegal drugs, and counterfeit pharmaceuticals; and contributes to the corruption of public ocials. While drug tracking of the late twentieth century could be considered responsible for the internationalization of organized crime (see Albanese, 2003, 438-439), since then these criminal business enterprises have diversi-ed, become more sophisticated, and identied new criminal opportunities. ese novel criminal operations, which particularly target the United States and other wealthy nations, include the unlawful penetration of global energy and strategic material markets; provision of logistical and nancial support to terrorists; the use of cyberspace to target persons and infrastructure; and the manipulation of securities markets and nancial institutions. Fraud represents a worldwide problem and is increasingly used by criminal organized
Contents Introduction 241 Crime Trends and Organized crime in Nordic Countries: e Case of Norway 242
Nordic Countries: Brief Overview 242 Crime and Criminal Justice Issues 244 Organized Crime in Europe and the Nordic Countries: Current Concerns 245
Nordic Countries’ Cross Border Law Enforcement Cooperation in the Combating and Prevention of Organized Crime 250
Policing Organized Crime in Norway 255 References 257
groups to generate money to nance drug tracking, tracking in human beings, identity fraud, counterfeiting, and terrorism. Fraud is signicantly impacted by the rapid development of modern technology and law enforcement agencies in all countries are now facing a growing number of organized virtual crime groups (Europol, 2009).
