Written by natives of each of the many countries represented here, this unique collection illustrates the similarities and differences in organized crime around the world. Each country's demographics and location is described and the introduction to each section indicates how the events in other nations on each continent continue to shape the nature and extent of organized crime in many different countries.This compilation of essays provides an analysis of organized crime from the North American, European, Asian, South American, Australasian and African perspectives, as well as the criminal justice response to organized crime.For those interested in a comprehensive analysis of organized crime around the world.

Dr. Jay S. Albanese is a professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.

Dr. Dilip K. Das is a professor in the Department of Sociology/Criminal justice at the State University of New York, Plattsburgh, USA.

Dr. Arvind Verma is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal justice at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.

Representatives from six continents and more than eighteen nations were assembled from law enforcement, research, and academia to offer the perspectives gained from their study and experience with organized crime. The perspectives were diverse and the approaches to understanding the phenomena varied widely, and their work formed the basis for this book. When we gathered in Yokohama, Japan, at the Third International Police Executive Symposium, it was apparent that organized crime is an issue of enormous concern around the globe, yet its nature and scope remain elusive.The purpose of the symposium was to highlight the nature and extent of organized crime, the measures being taken to combat it around the world, and to make a comparative evaluation and debate on issues where there was a lack of consensus. It was found that despite obvious differences, organized crime manifests similar forms across borders. The need for cooperation was a resounding theme of the papers presented.The information presented in this book is significant for several important reasons: A number of these national profiles of organized crime describe conditions in countries that are not widely known. The translation of some of these accounts into English and their presentation in this book provides information and insights into the nature of organized crime in locations around the world that previously were not well documented. The authors of each chapter are natives or persons greatly experienced in the countries they describe, who have the benefit of long-term experience and exposure to the political, economic, and social roots of organized crime and its control. The comparative summaries and analyses offered in the introduction and concluding chapters offer an assessment of common elements in organized crime and its control from a world perspective.This book is a culmination of revisions of several drafts of the papers first presented at the symposium in Yokohama. The updated and edited versions of these presentations form the various chapters of this book. Nine challenges for the future conclude the manuscript, eliciting nine fundamental themes that cut across the earlier chapters. Suggestions for further readings are included at the end of the book.The University of Kanagawa provided generous financial assistance and hospitality in hosting the four-day symposium in Yokohama. Professor Madoka Nagai of the Institute of Legal Studies at the University was a wonderful host. One well-known figure from each of the six continents represented selected top experts from their continent for participation in the symposium. These individuals were Obi N.I. Ebbe (Africa), Mangai Natarajan (Asia), Greg Newbold (Australia), Maximilian Edelbacher (Europe), Robert McCormack (North America), and Rubin Ruiz de Olanao (South America). Their work in selecting well-qualified participants for the symposium is responsible for the high quality of this volume. The symposium participants themselves are credited in their respective chapters and they have our gratitude for editing and revising their work as requested. Their work is important, contemporary, and has multinational implications for every country discussed.Editors Kim Davies and Sarah Holle of Prentice Hall were supportive of the concept behind this volume and we thank them for shepherding the manuscript through the publication process. Thanks are also due to Lindsay Young of Virginia Commonwealth University for her editorial assistance on the manuscript.The authors would also like to thank the following reviewees: Barry Sherman, Madonna University, Livonia, MI; L. Michael McCartney, Westfield State College, Amherst, MA; Patrick A Mueller, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX; Gene L. Scaramella, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL; Michael Hallett, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN; Francis H. Schreiner, Man