Following the recent acquisition and commissioning of two Augusta Westland 139 helicopters, the People's Partnership (PP) Government appears to be increasingly confident of its Naval Operational Plan to stem the tide of transnational organised criminal activities (Toc). Indeed, the Honourable Minister of National Security John Sandy believes that these acquisitions will aid in the Government's efforts to be increasingly successful in its interdiction efforts. Naturally, these measures will be monitored for effectiveness and success over a period of time. For the benefit of the nation, it is appropriate to define transnational organised crime. Transnational organised crime is defined as "organised crime across national borders." Some of these transnational crimes include illegal drug trafficking, illegal firearms, money laundering, illegal migrant smuggling, human trafficking, piracy, and contraband goods.
Expectations of intelligence
One can hopefully expect that these latest acquisitions possess the capability to scan thousands of porous coastal areas, and that the available technology outfitted in Forward Operating Locations (Fols) which are staging areas for aircraft involved in the international effort to combat narco-traffickers are also available. These national security acquisitions assets ought to have sophisticated systems on board to monitor, detect and track aircraft or vessels engaged in these crimes.
Factors threatening security
The factors of globalisation, rapid advances in communications technology, geography, aspects of our physical and social geography make it very conducive to drug trafficking. Also, porous borders, unenforceable policies, legislations, lack of a well-coordinated intelligence and control centre, corruption, vulnerable criminal justice systems all contribute to these security threats. It may be very commendable that the PP Government is now demonstrating to the country that it is very serious about initiating a new comprehensive national security doctrine in its attempts to detect and deter the scourges of transnational organised crimes. A comprehensive analysis of the past 20 years would have shown the impact of these criminal activities in our nation. To date, despite numerous efforts, transnational organised crimes are thriving all over the country and the profits are allegedly marinated into our banking, financial, real estate and insurance sectors. Complex maybe, but are we really serious about these crimes?
US concerns
Admittedly, the US recognises this growing threat to its national and international security. According to Prof Louise Shelley, director of Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Centre at George Mason University, Virginia, "transnational crimes will be a defining issue for policy makers-as defining as the Cold War was for the 20th century and colonialism was for the 19th century. "Terrorists and transnational crime groups will proliferate because groups are major beneficiaries of globalisation. They take advantage of international travel, trade, rapid money movements, telecommunications, and computer links and are well positioned for positive growth." Shelley also pointed out that the "phenomenon of the unholy trinity, the globalisation of crime, terror and corruption have manifested itself all over the world, and that they are able to carry out their activities aided by endemic corruption." Furthermore, Shelley noted that "these international criminal networks have by their planning and logistics confounded the State-based legal systems that are used to combat transnational crime in all its permutations."
Additionally, international organised crime has globalised its activities for the same reasons as legitimate international corporations. The growth in illicit transnational activities has been aided enormously by the greatest technological advances-from Internet to encrypted telecommunications. Criminologists and scholarly researchers have alluded to the fact that the illegal transnational criminal industry may occasionally act as a safety valve to compensate for the shortcomings of the formal economy. International criminal groups infiltrate governmental bureaucracies, buy public decisions and conduct business through threat and intimidation. All of the international treaties, additional protocols, bilateral and multilateral efforts will never adequately attack transnational crimes until the very serious public perception of allegations of official corruption in these activities are eliminated or reduced. This is necessary so that efforts of the international community can be focused on the prosecution of these international criminal syndicates and their local connections.
What to do? Even though it is important to address the intersection of crime, terrorism and corruption in the national environment, it also requires addressing the social, political and economic environment that generates and sustains them. It is becoming obvious that the threat of non-state actors such as transnational criminals and terrorists may continue to rise. Also, the present and future will require and demand greater international co-operation, harmonised legislation, increased sharing of intelligence. In implementing any policy against Toc, the PP Government must nonetheless respect the human rights of so many who are caught in this vicious cycle of transnational crimes. On the other hand, while legislations and other mechanisms are important, it would also appear that "the remedy does not lie in merely human and external measures." Perhaps, to be efficient, the cure must reach men individually and must regenerate the heart, as man's inhumanity to man is quite glaring in these matters of Toc. )Many religious people and scholars believe that the only way and power that can uplift mankind of this scourge of greed for money, its accompanying and attendant evils of violence, and abuse of human rights lie in the spiritual implantation of the soul.