Cross-border crime in a changing Europe

Distributed by Gazelle Book Services.

Book abstract:

Undoubtedly Europe is changing and growing both in geographical and economic aspects. The relaxation of border controls is part of the process to facilitate an easier flow of goods and services - European citizenship enables and encourages the flow of human traffic. The same imbalance in demand and supply, wealth and poverty, which prompt legal trade and population movement can be seen in crime-trade and the activities of crime entrepreneurs. So should we be surprised or concerned by this growth?

This collection of essays by a group of international criminologists examines the changing patterns of crime - by way of structure, markets and operatives - and readers may deduce that as in the legal arena the service industry has grown apace. Contributions cover issues such as human trafficking and its contingent activity, the sex trade. Drug trafficking and the increasing sophistication of drug products are examined as is the impact of the collapse of former Communist economies and the rise in institutional or economic fraud - white collar crime - which includes credit card fraud and money laundering. Commentary upon the cross-border co-operation between law enforcement agencies is given and suggestions made for more proactive initiatives including some standardisation of evidence requirements. The book argues that there is a balance to be struck between the growth of an overbearing international law enforcement community without democratic accountability and the threat posed by transnational organised crime.

The work will interest scholars, students, practitioners, researchers and policy makers in the fields of criminology, law enforcement and financial regulation.

Petrys C. van Duyne is Professor of Empirical Penal Science at Tilburg University, the Netherlands. Vincenzo Ruggiero is a Professor of Criminal Law. M. Scheinost is Deputy Director of the Institute of Criminology and Social Prevention, Prague. Wim Valkenburg is Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law at Tilburg University.

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