International Journal on Criminology Volume 7, Number 1, Winter 2019/2020 | Page 96

Criminal Networks: The Forgotten Actors of International Politics
stan, Bolivia, or Venezuela, similar countries where NCS have, respectively, taken
control over large parts of the methamphetamine distribution, heroin transit, and
cocaine trafficking (UNODC 2013, 2016).
NCS have finally combined exploitation of new trade connections with a
strong innovation by developing a decisive comparative advantage in the criminal
world: the use of human couriers to smuggle drugs worldwide. Luring impoverished
people with rapid and significant monetary opportunities, training mules in
specialized “schools,” hiring logistical experts to use flight connections to its best,
and relying on its diaspora NCS considerably perfected and used these smuggling
techniques in recent years (NDLEA 2011). They notably invented the so-called
shotgun method sending several mules in the same plane, while one of them is denounced
by a passenger under NCS’ orders, allowing the others to pass the security
unchecked. 9 Thanks to their brilliant exploitation of globalization, NCS have
progressively climbed the criminal food chain and become major actors of the
criminal world.
V. General Conclusion
The study of Mafias’ structural characteristics leaves no doubt on their nature
and quest. In fact, contrary to other criminal entities, Mafias are highly
structured actors luring for governmental power. Moreover, it can be
observed that the core elements at the foundation of their alternative societal
offer, from their normative set to territorial control or their taxation system, defy
and diminish by essence Nation-States’ sovereignty as defined in political science
theories.
Since its birth, Mafias have successfully managed to adapt to the evolving
edges of our societies to exploit their weaknesses to their advantage. In their
quest for power, I demonstrated that Mafias have developed a unique set of political
tools, rational, and well-thought strategies enabling them to expand in every
context and regions of the world. In fact, thanks to the use of their coercive and
corruptive weapons, through trade-off, the creation of a criminal–political joint
venture or their full control of a Nation-State’s territory, Mafias influence, share
or directly dictate governmental power on domestic political stages to their best
interests. Furthermore, through its participation in the war economy, fuelling of
weapons or manipulating armed groups, Mafias are key international players to
take into consideration.
In the last section, I further argued that Mafias have turned into increasingly
powerful and sprawling transnational illicit enterprises thanks to their economic
and financial powers. I demonstrated this statement through the analy-
9 The shotgun method is the term given to the use of placing several drug-carrying couriers on a
single flight. Generally, the couriers do not know each other.
91