Vienna: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has urged a strategic approach to combating organized crime by focusing on the financial systems that support it.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the UNODC emphasized the global threat posed by transnational organized crime in a press release marking the International Day against Transnational Organized Crime, observed on November 15. The organization highlighted the extensive reach of such crime, from illicit drug trade and cybercrime to human trafficking and illegal arms dealing, all of which generate billions in illegal proceeds annually.
The human cost of organized crime is significant, with an estimated 22 percent of all global intentional homicides between 2015 and 2021 linked to such activities. This equates to around 100,000 deaths each year. Beyond the loss of life, organized crime contributes to conflict, undermines security, and destabilizes the rule of law. It also poses threats to public health through falsified medicines, environmental destruction through illegal logging and mining, and financial instability through economic crime and money laundering.
The UNODC noted that organized crime groups are increasingly using advanced digital tools and emerging technologies, including cryptocurrencies and shell companies, to obscure the origins and movements of illicit funds. These funds can now be transferred rapidly across borders, often eluding traditional law enforcement measures.
The agency stressed the importance of the 2025 campaign, "Follow the money. Stop organized crime," which aims to disrupt the financial lifelines of criminal networks by tracing illicit financial flows. The campaign underscores the need to target the profits of organized crime to dismantle operations, fortify justice systems, and restore assets to affected communities.