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Vienna International Centre, PO Box 500, 1400 Vienna, AustriaTel.: ( 43-1) 26060-0, Fax: ( 43-1) 26060-5866, www.unodc.orgDigest oforganized crimecasesA compilation of caseswith commentaries andlessons learnedUnited Nations publicationPrinted in AustriaV.12-55802—October 2012—500Prepared in cooperation withThe Government of ColombiaThe Government of ItalyInterpol

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIMEViennaDIGEST OF ORGANIZED CRIME CASESA compilation of caseswith commentariesand lessons learnedUNITED NATIONSNew York, 2012

United Nations, October 2012. All rights reserved.The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression ofany opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of anycountry, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.This publication has not been formally edited.Publishing production: English, Publishing and Library Section, United Nations Office at Vienna.

CONTENTSAcknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vPrefaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .viiDirector-General/Executive Director of UNODC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Representative of Italy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Representative of Colombia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Secretary General of INTERPOL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .viiviiixxiSummary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiiiIntroduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1I. Organized crime: its nature and criminalization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Policies against organized crime. Organized crime offences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patterns of criminal organization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Participation in an organized criminal group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Liability of legal persons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Transnational offences and jurisdiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .513212628II. Investigation and prosecution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Investigative and prosecutorial approaches to organized crime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Institutional setting: specialized entities for organized crime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Special investigative techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Other investigative techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Protection of witnesses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3339424749III. International law enforcement and judicial cooperation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53A.B.C.D.E.A.B.C.D.E.A.B.C.D.E.F.The international legal basis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Law enforcement cooperation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Institutional aspects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .INTERPOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joint investigative teams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mutual legal assistance and extradition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .535764687280IV. Measures related to proceeds of crime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87A. Policy and legal basis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B. Extended confiscation. Forfeiture in rem. Non-conviction-based confiscation. . . . . . . . . . . . .C. International cooperation in the execution of confiscation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .879096iii

V. Features of specific offences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A.B.C.D.E.Maritime piracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Firearms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Environmental crime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cultural property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cybercrime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9999101105108110VI. Prevention. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117A. General issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117AnnexesI. Country case abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .II. List of cases divided by type of offences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .III. List of experts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iv121122129

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe Digest of Organized Crime Cases was developed by the Implementation Support Section of the OrganizedCrime and Illicit Trafficking Branch, under the supervision of Mr. John Sandage, Director, Division for TreatyAffairs (DTA/OCB/ISS) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.The Digest initiative as a whole was coordinated by Ms. Simonetta Grassi (UNODC).The Digest was drafted by Mr. Gioacchino Polimeni (Senior Legal Consultant), with the support of Ms. SimonettaGrassi (UNODC), Mr. Ricardo Peixoto (Legal Consultant), Ms. Livier Calderon (Intern), Ms. Dayan Faria(Intern), Mr. Sergio Rea (Intern) and Mr. Pascal Valette (Intern).Valuable contributions were provided by many UNODC staff members, in particular (in alphabetical order):Ms. Mounia Ben Hammou, Mr. Mike De Feo (consultant), Ms. Simone Heri, Ms. Tejal Jesrani, Ms. KarenKramer, Mr. Aldo Lale-Demoz, Mr. Pierre Lapaque, Ms. Luz Elena Restrepo (consultant), Mr. Stephen Thurlow,Ms. Veronic Wright.The English version of the Digest was edited by Ms. Mary Albot (editor). Overall logistic and administrative support was provided by Ms. Hilda-Olivia Sarkissian.The development of the Digest would not have been possible without the financial and in-kind support of theGovernments of Colombia and Italy, and Interpol. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is thankfulto the following persons and institutions, that have made the development of the Digest possible:PartnersColombiaMs. María Ángela Holguín, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Colombia; Major General José Roberto LeónRiaño, Director General, National Police of Colombia, President American Police Community—AMERIPOL;Major General Edgar Orlando Vale Mosquera, Deputy Director General, National Police of Colombia; ColonelJorge Luis Vargas Valencia, Directorate of Police Intelligence, DIPOL, National Police of Colombia; ColonelJoaquin Fernando Buitrago Rueda, Chief of International Affairs Office, National Police of Colombia; MajorCarlos Andrés Martínez Romero, Chief of International Affairs, Directorate of Police Intelligence, DIPOL.ItalyMinistry of Foreign AffairsDirectorate General for Development CooperationDirectorate General for Political Affairs and SecurityMinistry of InteriorMs. Annamaria Cancellieri, Minister of Interior, Republic of Italy; Prefect Antonio Manganelli, Chief of Police,Director General of Public Security; Prefect Francesco Cirillo, Deputy Director General of Public Security andv

Central Director of Criminal Police; Brigadier General Fabrizio Lisi, Director of the International PoliceCooperation Service, Guardia di Finanza; Police Brigadier General Filippo Dispenza, Head of the State PoliceProvincial Headquarters of Alessandria Police; Colonel Gennaro Capoluongo, Head of Cabinet of theInternational Police Cooperation Service; Police Lieutenant Colonel Claudio Martini, Head of the Bilateral andMultilateral Relations and Cooperation Agreements Section, International Police Cooperation Service; Ms.Vittoria Palmerini, Expert in Bilateral and Multilateral Relations and cooperation Agreements at the InternationalPolice Cooperation Service.Anti-Mafia National DirectorateMr. Pietro Grasso, National Anti-mafia Prosecutor, Antimafia National Directorate; Mr. Giustino Sciacchitano,Deputy Anti-Mafia Prosecutor, General Prosecutor’s Office, Antimafia National Directorate.InterpolMr. Ronald K. Noble, Secretary GeneralMr. Gianni Baldi, Assistant Director, Drug Control and Criminal Organizations Sub-Directorate.ExpertsThe Digest is the result of a broad participatory process involving experts in the areas of law enforcement andprosecution from several regions of the world. Those experts contributed their time, imparted their expertise,shared their cases and experiences and brought boundless energy and enthusiasm to the process of elaboratingthe Digest. Most of them have also participated in at least one of the three expert group meetings held inRome (Italy), Cartagena (Colombia) and Palermo (Italy). UNODC is profoundly grateful for their personaldedication and also for having remained committed to the initiative by providing feedback, commentary andsuggestions throughout the process of developing the Digest and generating tangible and practical lessonslearned. A full list of experts (in alphabetical order) appears in annex I. Special thanks go to the interpreters and translators of the Italian Ministry of Interior and the National Policeof Colombia who have assisted during the three meetings of experts and translated the Digest into otherlanguages.vi