NCJ Number
80378
Journal
Temple Law Quarterly Volume: 53 Issue: 4 Dated: (1980) Pages: 1114-1126
Date Published
1980
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The nature of transnational economic crime, reasons for its growth, and the nature of barriers to its containment and some possible approaches to surmounting them are discussed.
Abstract
The threats of transnational economic crime may be external or internal to any nation, though the categories are not necessarily mutually exclusive. External threats are those which involve schemes planned and mounted outside a country's borders. Internal threats involve schemes domestically planned and implemented by using foreign facilities or instrumentalities. External threats may include the fraudulent misgrading of food exported from one country to another, the rigging of prices on needed imports, international commercial bribery, and the deliberate exporting of drugs which could not be sold in a pharmaceutical firm's home country. Internal assaults may involve the use of foreign corporations, banks, and citizens to execute schemes to victimize fellow citizens. The most significant factor contributing to the increase of transnational economic crime is the growth of 'internal' markets, or market confederations and relationships. Some barriers to its containment include diverse national interests, differences between countries in their substantive laws and procedures, political sensitivity to the need to defend nationals, and language barriers. More important than the development of procedures for enforcement cooperation against economic criminal behavior which crosses national boundaries is increased awareness of the importance of transnational crime and enhanced domestic capability to deal with economic crime within national borders. A total of 35 footnotes are listed.