Drug Trafficking, Essay Example

Question #1

Discuss the interplay between drug trafficking and insurgent terrorists.

There is said empirical evidence which links armed conflict – this includes terrorism – and the possession of and trafficking of narcotics. Some believe that there is connection between terrorist groups and organized crime groups. There is similarity between these two groups, and this brings in the concept of “narco-terrorism”. There are numerous terrorist organizations, and around the same number of drug trafficking organizations, their link is in the evidence of the existence of very few cases. Their link is found from around thirty or so countries, and this can be established with some level of certainty. According to the United Nations, there are more than 100 countries which are involved in the trafficking of illicit drugs. With the countries which produce these drugs, there are cases of crime and violence, not necessarily connected with terrorist crimes. The only evidence which can be established is that some profit from the drug trafficking industry seems to go to terrorists (Silke, 2003).

Question #2

What evidence exists for supporting a link with the FARC and drug trafficking.

There are evidences that the members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia protect cocaine drug laboratories, these evidences are found in the lab return for fees which generate millions of dollars in income. This income is spread across their communist mantra each year. During November 2002, AUC members with undercover DEA organized to purchase cocaine in exchange for armed weapons. Since 1990, narco-terrorists in Columbia kidnapped over 50 U.S. citizens; this was mostly for ransom in order to gain funds for their laboratories. From 1995 to this year, they have murdered 12 Americans (Lee, 2004).

References

Silke, A., ed. (2003) Terrorists, Victims, and Society: Psychological Perspectives on Terrorism and Its Consequences. Chichester, England: Wiley.

Lee, G.D. (2004). Global Drug Enforcement: Practical Investigative Techniques. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.