ABSTRACT
The perceived threat of transnational organised crime (TOC) exemplifies dilemmas posed when we speak of crime in a global context. The debates that have accompanied its increasing prominence on the agendas of key international organisations, such as the United Nations, Group of 8 leading industrialised nations and the Council of Europe, are evidence of official concern over the illicit consequences of globalisation. On the other hand, they also signal scepticism over the scope, dynamics and impact of this threat. Advocates of TOC as a legitimate object of global governance cite the prima facie increase in opportunities for crossborder crimes generated by developments in transport, information and telecommunications technology, accompanied by the decreasing regulation of international trade and the abolition of internal borders between nation-states participating in continental trading blocs, such as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Union (EU) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Sceptics have questioned the extent and even the existence of this threat, observing that much official discourse on TOC is characterised by unsubstantiated assertion. Some such sceptics have denied ontological status to TOC altogether (Sheptycki, 2003a). Sceptics of TOC talk have used a variety of data to illustrate the point that the organisation of serious crime remains predominantly contained within local markets.
