The growth in cross-border crime is going on in many countries today. The development of increasingly sophisticated facilities for rapid travel has made it easier for criminals to move around the world. At the same time, the complex structures of modern societies and the constant growth of international exchanges provide more and more opportunities for international criminal activity, which has expanded enormously now and reached alarming proportions. Individuals and companies are being subjected to increasing pressure from criminals, leading to widespread feelings of insecurity.
The term international crime, although in common use, does not necessarily refer to specific types of offence defined in law. When criminal acts, deals and schemes violate the laws of more than one country, they are said to be cross-border, transnational or international crimes.
The UN has classified all transnational crimes into 17 groups: money laundering terrorism; theft of art works and cultural objects; theft of intellectual property; illicit arms trade; hijacking of planes; piracy; hijacking on highways; fraud in insurance; computer-related crime; ecological crime; trade in humans; trade in human organs; drug trafficking; sham bankruptcy; penetrating legal business; corruption and bribing public figures, party leaders and elected officials.
Some offences are covered by international conventions, for instance, currency counterfeiting (1929 Convention), traffic in human beings and the exploitation of prostitution (1949 Convention), and drug trafficking (1988 Convention).
Other offences, however, can be classified as international because of the behaviour of the offenders. For instance, preparations for committing an offence may be made in one country while the actual offence is committed in one or more countries. To make another example, similar offences may be committed one after the other in several different countries. Finally, an offender may escape across a border after committing his offence, he may transfer his illicit gains abroad or he may conceal objects or documents used to commit the offence in another country.
Tracing and arresting such offenders may prove extremely difficult; problems can arise in connection with exchanging information, identification, international investigations and subsequent extradition. Because of these problems, police services in different countries must work together if they are to combat international crime successfully.
3. Translate the following words and word-combinations:
- cross-border crime
- modern society
- sophisticated facilities
- international criminal activity
- in common use
- specific type of offence
- illicit gain
- feeling of insecurity
- currency counterfeiting
- tracing
- fraud in insurance
- identification
- subsequent extradition.
4. Find in the text above the names of following crimes:
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5 Make up word combinations:
1) cross-border a) exchanges
2) sophisticated b) extradition
3) international c) proportion
4) criminal d) crime
5) alarming e) laundering
6) money f) activity
7) currency g) facilities
8) subsequent h) counterfeiting
6. Find the words with an opposite meaning in the text above:
1) law-abiding citizen
2) easy
3) decreasing
4) security
5) obey
6) local
7) legal
7 Read the definitions and name the corresponding word from the bracket:
(Illicit, to launder, terrorism, hostage, ransom, to cooperate, border, to facilitate)
to transfer illegal or stolen money usually by a complex process to avoid detection
against law
3. the use of violence in order to achieve political aims
4. an amount of money that someone asks for in exchange for a person
who they are keeping as a prisoner
5. the official line that separates two countries or regions
6. a person who is the prisoner of someone who threatens to kill them if
they do not get what they want
7. to make it possible or easier for something to happen
8. to work with other people in order to achieve something
8. Complete the following sentences according to the text:
1. The growth in cross-border crime
2. The constant growth of international
3. The term international crime does not
4. The UN has classified
5. Other offences, however, can be classified
6. Police services in different countries must work
9. Answer the following questions, then retell the text.
1. What developments made it easier for criminals to move around the world?
2. Who are being subjected to increasing pressure from criminals?
3. Does the term international crime refer only to specific types of offence defined in law?
4. What does the term transnational crime mean?
5. How many groups of transnational crimes can you name according to UNs classification?
6. What offences are covered by international conventions?
7. Is tracing and arresting international criminals an easy task?
8. Why must police services in different countries work together?
