The illegal drug trade, drug trafficking, or narcotrafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through the use of drug prohibition laws. The think tank Global Financial Integrity's Transnational Crime and the Developing World report estimates the size of the global illicit drug market between US$426 and US$652billion in 2014. With a world GDP of US$78 trillion in the same year, the illegal drug trade may be estimated as nearly 1% of total global trade. Consumption of illegal drugs is widespread globally, and it remains very difficult for local authorities to reduce the rates of drug consumption.
Over time, corruption has been defined differently. For example, while performing work for a government or as a representative, it is unethical to accept a gift. Any free gift could be construed as a scheme to lure the recipient towards some biases. In most cases, the gift is seen as an intention to seek certain favors, such as work promotion, tipping in order to win a contract, job, or exemption from certain tasks in the case of junior worker handing in the gift to a senior employee who can be key in winning the favor.
Informally or generally, a mafia is any of various criminal organizations that include, or bear a strong similarity to, the original Sicilian Mafia, the Italian-American Mafia, or other Italian organized crime groups. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of disputes between criminals, as well as the organization and enforcement of illicit agreements between criminals through violence. Mafias often engage in secondary activities such as gambling, loan sharking, drug trafficking, prostitution, and fraud.
The term Mafia was originally applied to the Sicilian Mafia. Since then, the term has expanded to encompass other organizations of similar practices and objectives, e.g. "the Russian mafia" or "the Japanese mafia". The term was coined by the press and is informal; the criminal organizations themselves have their own names (e.g. the Sicilian Mafia and the related Italian-American mafia refer to their organizations as "Cosa nostra"; the "Japanese mafia" calls itself Ninkyō dantai but is more commonly known as "Yakuza" by the public; and "Russian mafia" groups often call themselves "Bratva").
The Pruszków mafia (Polish: mafia pruszkowska or gang pruszkowski) was a Polish criminal organization originating from Pruszków in the 1990s and one of the most infamous in the country's modern history. It was active in the vicinity of the city of Warsaw. The group is known for being involved in large car-theft rings, drug trafficking (including cocaine, heroin, hashish and amphetamine), kidnapping, extortion, weapon trafficking (including AK-47s) and murder. Even though law enforcement dealt a severe blow to the organization in 2000 with Jarosław "Masa" Sokołowski taking the stance of crown witness. Despite rumors sparked by the release of a few high-ranking members in 2017 the group has not been significantly active since, with many of the freed bosses re-arrested on subsequent charges. Remnants of the group are thought to be involved in car theft and drug distribution but retain no real influence in the area.
Drug trafficking in the context of Crime in Harlem
Greater Harlem, in the northern section of the New York Cityborough of Manhattan, has historically had high poverty and crime rates. Crime in Harlem is primarily related to illicit activities such as theft, robbery, drug trafficking and prostitution. Criminal organizations such as street gangs are responsible for a significant portion of crime, particularly violent crime. The leading cause of death among young black males in Harlem is homicide. According to a survey published in 2013 by Union Settlement Association, residents of East Harlem perceive crime as their biggest single concern. Greater Harlem has one of the highest violent crime rates in New York City despite significant declines from historic highs.
In the past, the term "money laundering" was applied only to financial transactions related to organized crime. Today its definition is often expanded by government and international regulators such as the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to mean "any financial transaction which generates an asset or a value as the result of an illegal act," which may involve actions such as tax evasion or false accounting. In the UK, it does not need to involve money, but any economic good. Courts involve money laundering committed by private individuals, drug dealers, businesses, corrupt officials, members of criminal organizations such as the Mafia, and even states.
The 'Ndrangheta (/əndræŋˈɡɛtə/, Italian:[(a)nˈdraŋɡeta], Calabrian:[(ɳ)ˈɖɽaɲɟɪta]) is a mafia-type criminal syndicate originating from the Calabria region of Italy. Emerging in the 19th century, it has developed into one of the world's most powerful and pervasive organized crime entities. Characterized by a decentralized, horizontal structure composed of autonomous operating units known as 'ndrine, the organization's foundational structure is based on family and blood relationships. Beginning in the mid-20th century, coinciding with significant emigration from Calabria, 'Ndrangheta clans expanded their operations across Northern and Central Italy, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. The syndicate is reportedly involved in a wide array of illegal activities, including drug trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering, racketeering, extortion, and loan sharking.
The 'Ndrangheta has historically had a significant ability to influence local, regional and national politics through systemic corruption, intimidation, and collusion, and continues to infiltrate various sectors of the legal economy both within Italy and internationally. Estimates in 2013 suggested the organization's revenue reached €53 billion. A U.S. diplomatic cable from 2010 purportedly estimated that the 'Ndrangheta's illicit activities, encompassing drug trafficking, extortion, and money laundering, accounted for approximately three percent of Italy's GDP. While its origins are contemporary with the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, formal legal designation of the 'Ndrangheta as a Mafia-type organization under Article 416 bis of the Italian penal code occurred in 2010. The Italian Supreme Court of Cassation had reached a similar conclusion in March of the same year.
Wildlife trade refers to the exchange of products derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, tissues such as skins, bones or meat, or other products. Legal wildlife trade is regulated by the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which currently has 184 member countries called Parties. Illegal wildlife trade is widespread and constitutes one of the major illegal economic activities, comparable to the traffic of drugs and weapons.
Wildlife trade is a serious conservation problem, has a negative effect on the viability of many wildlife populations and is one of the major threats to the survival of vertebrate species. The illegal wildlife trade has been linked to the emergence and spread of new infectious diseases in humans, including emergent viruses. Global initiatives like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 have a target to end the illegal supply of wildlife.