ABSTRACT

This chapter provides the different components of the political criminal nexus of trafficking in women and findings of the US-Ukrainian research team. The traffickers continue to operate with impunity because of a transnational political criminal nexus that maintains the flow of women from Ukraine to the sex industries abroad. Networks of criminals and corrupt officials are significant components of the transnational political criminal nexus. The transnational political criminal nexus of trafficking in women extends from individuals at the highest levels of government to the lowliest criminals. The goal of the transnational political criminal nexus of trafficking in women is to make money. The political components of the transnational political criminal nexus play their role. The women with narcotics addictions do not appear to be targeted for recruitment by transnational traffickers. The transnational political criminal nexus of trafficking includes organized crime and corrupt officials in destination countries.