Several factors can make someone involved in organized crime. For example, drug cartels tend to involve members in other criminal activities. As the cartel network grows in membership, finances, and influence, these members often engage in criminal activities unrelated to drug trafficking. In one example, a drug cartel may purchase a dance club to use as a front for gambling or prostitution.
The main sources of income for criminal organizations have been narcotics trafficking and gambling. Another common source of income has been the loan industry, also known as “juice rackets,” which charge usurious rates of interest and collect delinquent debtors by using violence. The labour racket, on the other hand, involves control of union leadership. This allows criminals to take advantage of union resources to carry out a wide range of illegal activities. Legal businesses that are regarded as illegal by organized crime groups include real estate companies, dry cleaning operations, and vending machines.
In order to identify an organization’s involvement in organized crime, you must first understand the structure of the organization. Organized crime has several different forms, and some groups are more structured than others. Some groups are ethnically and culturally-bound, while others are more complex and lack a clear hierarchy. In any case, it is important to remember that organized crime is not limited to one country. Many different types of organized crime are found worldwide, and the definition and classification of each group vary from country to country.
