CM3S052 - Transnational Organised Crime: Contemporary Perspectives 01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: CM3S052
Module Title: Transnational Organised Crime: Contemporary Perspectives
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Policing and Criminology
Faculty Sub Group: Post Compulsory Education
Module Leader: Marian Buhociu, Daniel Welch
Module Team:
First Intended Intake: SEP 2022 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 6
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes:
HECOS Code Weighting:

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2022
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

The overall aim of this module is to introduce students to some of the issues involved in conceptualising and responding to the problems that transnational organised crime creates. Specific aims of the module include:

• To introduce students to the range and nature of contemporary forms of transnational crime.
• To help students to understand the different ways in which transnational organised crimes impact on individuals and society more widely (e.g. community, economy, health, criminal justice etc.).
• To provide students with a thorough understanding of the definitional, measurement and theoretical explanations and responses to a broad range of crimes

Content Summary

In this module students examine the contemporary definitions of transnational organised crime, how its prevalence is measured at national and European/global level, as well as criminological attempts to explain why this crime happens, and current responses to it.

The module makes extensive use of a variety of historical and contemporary case studies to offer an in-depth understanding of this sensitive, controversial and continually evolving subject. As part of this module, students will be introduced to contemporary global issues such as: drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling of migrants, international terrorism, illegal arms trading, illegal trade in wildlife, illegal trade in cultural goods, and cybercrime through a criminological lens.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 12
Practical classes and workshops 24
External visits 16
Independent Study 80
Active/Simulation Based 10
Groupwork 10
Problem / challenge based learning 48
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of various types of contemporary transnational organised crimes and in particular the nature of these crimes in terms of defining, measuring, explaining and responding to them.
LO2 Demonstrate the ability to identify a specific challenge posed by transnational organised crime, provide evidence for its prevalence and make comprehensive proposals to solve that challenge.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Report 1 A written report subject that draws on knowledge and material from the module or course. 0 4000 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Report 1 ✔ ✔

Reading List

Albanese, J. S. and Reichel, P. L. (2014) Transnational organized crime an overview from six continents. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Arsovska, J. and Allum, F. (2014) 'Introduction: women and transnational organized crime', Trends in organized crime, 17(1-2), pp. 1-15.

Carrapico, H., Irrera, D. and Tupman, B. (2014) 'Transnational organised crime and terrorism: different peas', Global crime, 15(3-4), pp. 213-218.

Costa, J. (2018) 'The globalised network of a dirty game: match-fixing, illegal betting and transnational organised crime in Italian football', Global crime, 19(2), pp. 125-145.

Edwards, A. and Gill, P. (2003) Transnational organised crime : perspectives on global security. Transnational crime London: Routledge.

Europol (2021). EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment. The Hague: Europol.

Hubschle, A. (2013) 'Of bogus hunters, queenpins and mules: the varied roles of women in transnational organized crime in Southern Africa', Trends in organized crime, 17(1-2), pp. 31-51.

Kaplan, D.E. and Dubro, A. (2003). Yakuza: Japan’s Criminal Underworld. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Kleemans, E.R. and van de Bunt, H.G. (2002) The social embeddedness of organised crime, Transnational Organised Crime, 5, 19-36.

Madsen, F. G. (2009) Transnational organized crime. London: Routledge.

Mappen, M. and Gangsters, P. (2013). The Rise and Fall of a Bad Generation. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

Nadiia, S. and Snizhana, R. (2020) 'Internet fraud and transnational organized crime', Juridical tribune, 10(1), pp. 162-172.

Obokata, T. and Payne, B. (2017) Transnational organised crime a comparative analysis. Routledge research in transnational crime and criminal law London: Routledge.

Ogboru, T. and Kigbu, S. (2015) 'Human Smuggling, Human Trafficking, Transnational Organised Crime', Beijing law review, 6(4), pp. 224-231.

Scott McIllwain, J. (1999). Organised Crime. A Social Network Approach. Crime, Law and Social Change, 32, 301-323.

Siegel, D. (2014). Transnational Organised Crime. In J. Albanese (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.

Soudijn, M.R. and Kleemans, E.R. (2009). Chinese Organised Crime and Situational Context: Comparing Human Smuggling and Synthetic Drugs Trafficking, Crime, Law and Social Change, 52, 457-474.

Titeca, K. (2019) 'Illegal Ivory Trade as Transnational Organized Crime? an Empirical Study Into Ivory Traders in Uganda', British journal of criminology, 59(1), pp. 24-44. von Lampe,

K. (2012) 'Transnational organized crime challenges for future research', Crime, law, and social change, 58(2), pp. 179-194.