Mapping crime networks in Southern Africa : a new approach

Current perceptions of organised crime are too rigid and narrow. Organised crime should be re-defined to comprise a set of core activities which should encompass the ancillary acts of those who assist core actors. To gather information on the reach of criminal networks and establish how they sustain themselves, authorities should perceive such networks as organisations involved in business. Furthermore, organised crime is transnational and market based, but attempts to deal with it are constrained by state sovereignty. Effective disruption of crime networks requires a network analysis that transcends national borders, while legal procedures should be harmonized across such borders