The concept of "gangland" in international politics refers to the intricate and often hidden interplay between organized crime and political power on a global scale. This phenomenon reveals how criminal groups and states can collaborate, compete, or even merge to influence political outcomes, shape international relations, and undermine global order. Drawing from recent analyses and historical examples, this answer explores the mechanisms, strategies, and implications of this shadowy nexus.
The Convergence of Crime and Politics
Organized crime has evolved beyond local or national boundaries, becoming a significant player in international politics. Criminal groups often influence elections, alter constitutions, foment terrorism, wage war, and even negotiate peace deals when it serves their interests[1]. This influence is not always overt; instead, criminal actors typically seek "hidden power," exerting control without assuming formal political responsibility[1]. As former CIA Director Jim Woolsey noted in 1999, the lines between legitimate business, state actors, and organized crime can blur, creating complex alliances where mafias, intelligence operatives, and corporate executives may operate as one[1].
This convergence is further complicated by the globalization of crime. Scholars like Misha Glenny and Moisés Naím have highlighted how criminal power increasingly intersects with political power, challenging the assumption that organized crime's influence stops at national borders[1]. From historical events like the role of American and Italian mafias in World War II and the Cuban Missile Crisis to modern scandals like Malaysia’s 1MDB, the entanglement of crime and politics shapes international affairs in profound ways[1].
Strategies of Influence
Criminal and political actors employ various strategies to navigate their relationships, often to mutual benefit. These strategies include:
- Intermediation: Mafias, such as those in Italy, America, and Australia, act as brokers between political elites and hard-to-reach markets or populations, providing money and votes in exchange for power and protection[1].
- Autonomy: Warlords and gang rulers, often seen in regions like Afghanistan and parts of Africa, establish themselves as independent rulers, controlling illicit markets without sharing power with the state[1].
- Merger: In extreme cases, criminal and political entities vertically integrate, using state assets for criminal profit and criminal resources for governance, as observed in historical contexts like 19th-century New York and 20th-century Havana[1].
- Confrontation: When interests clash, criminal groups may resort to terrorism to intimidate governments, as the Sicilian mafia did in the 1990s by targeting politicians and prosecutors, or relocate to new markets, as seen when the New York mafia shifted operations to the Bahamas after being expelled from Cuba[1].
These strategies illustrate the adaptability of criminal actors in leveraging political systems for their gain, often with the complicity of state actors.
Criminal States and International Relations
Beyond individual criminal groups, entire states can adopt criminal behavior as a core instrument of national power, a phenomenon described as "criminal states." Countries like North Korea, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela use illicit activities—ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering—to achieve foreign policy goals, preserve elite power, and counter international isolation[2]. For instance, North Korea’s Office #39 is dedicated to illicit international operations, while Russia has corporatized organized crime under state guidelines to pursue geopolitical aims, such as the annexation of Crimea in 2014 with the help of criminal syndicates[2].
These states often collaborate with each other and with non-state criminal organizations to undermine the liberal world order. Examples include Venezuela’s ties to the Andean drug trade to fund alliances with Iran and Hezbollah, or North Korea’s reported dealings with the Russian mafia to launder funds[2]. Such actions challenge traditional theories of international relations, which focus on normative state behavior, and necessitate new frameworks to account for "kleptocratic interdependence"—the self-reinforcing relationship between criminals and government officials[2].
Implications for Global Order
The growing influence of organized crime in international politics raises critical questions about the stability of global systems. As criminal and political strategies converge, the line between statecraft and transnational crime becomes increasingly blurred, especially in an era where state capitalism can mask elite self-dealing[1]. This dynamic is exacerbated by isolation—whether self-imposed or through international sanctions—which drives states like North Korea and Venezuela deeper into criminal activity as a means of survival, creating a vicious cycle of further isolation and reliance on illicit means[2].
Moreover, the collaboration between criminal and political actors can destabilize regions and undermine democratic institutions. The pervasive nature of these relationships, as explored in multidisciplinary studies, highlights the difficulty of researching and countering such infiltration into political, economic, and civil systems[3]. The risk is not just domestic corruption but the emergence of competing political-criminal alliances on the international stage, reminiscent of power struggles in 1930s New York but now with global consequences[1].
Conclusion
The "gangland" of international politics represents a complex and evolving challenge where organized crime and state power intersect to shape global affairs. Through strategies of intermediation, autonomy, merger, and confrontation, criminal actors wield significant influence, often in collaboration with political elites or entire states. As criminal states like North Korea and Russia integrate illicit activities into their national strategies, the traditional frameworks of international relations are tested, demanding new approaches to address this dark underbelly of global politics. The implications are profound, threatening democratic integrity and global stability, and underscoring the urgent need for deeper understanding and countermeasures.
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- https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/hidden-power-organised-crime-in-international-politics/
- https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/articles/dark-international-relations-when-crime-is-the-dime/
- https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/handbook-of-organised-crime-and-politics-9781786434562.html
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