Introduction

Organized crime poses a serious threat to the private sector. Criminal groups attack businesses with extortion rackets, disrupt corporate infrastructures, kidnap employees, and steal company assets. Organized crime infiltration of the private sector is frequently aided by corrupt government officials in wealthy and poor countries alike. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book offers a fresh look at the relationship between the private sector and organized crime. It undertakes an examination of the theoretical underpinnings of the relationships between the private sector and organized crime. The book highlights the importance of developing reliable qualitative and quantitative methodologies to understand the organized crime infiltration of the legal economy. It discusses how the hauling sector to move commodities and people is exploited by organized crime.