Similarities and Differences Between Organized Crime and Terrorism

• Authors: Zubrzycki, Waldemar

Abstracts

EN

Terrorism is one of the greatest threats to the modern world, not only in respect of internal security of individualstates but also at an international level. However, for many years there has been an escalation of another, equally dangerousphenomenon — that of organized crime. This has been due to many factors, including the collapse of the so-called “Easternbloc”, and the financial and social globalisation of the economy. Both threats are a manifestation of a particular kind of groupcrime, although with distinctly different characters. The distinguishing elements are the ideological basis underlying the conductof their activities as well as the aims which their members seek to achieve. The aims of terrorist organisations are of a political,ideological or religious nature. For them money plays an indirect role, it is not an end in itself but a necessity to serve the higherpurpose. Organised crime groups carry out their activities exclusively in order to achieve financial gain. Despite these distinct aims,which differ between the organised criminal group and the terrorist organisation, the two categories employ acts of violenceand terror, causing a sense of anxiety amongst individuals or social groups. There are also areas which give rise to their mutualco-operation, and the trend for there to be contact between the two forms of group crime is noticeable all over the world. Both typesof organisations gain mutual benefit from their experience, and organised crime may also be one way of raising funds for terroristactivities. In the field of preventing and combating both terrorism and organised crime, it should be noted that responsibility fallsto several services and institutions, most of which perform tasks in relation to both types of crime. This is also the case in respectof the legal basis for their actions. To a large extent the responsibility for both types of crimes under discussion are determined onthe basis of common legislation.

Keywords

EN

criminal group; terrorists; terrorist organisations; Terrorism; organised crime

• Publisher: Wyższa Szkoła Policji w Szczytnie
• Journal: Internal Security
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 7(2)
• Pages: 53-70

Contributors

author

Zubrzycki, Waldemar

Identifiers

DOI

10.5604/20805268.1212112