Pinning a Tail on the Dragon: The Chinese and the International Heroin Trade

Dobinson, Ian

doi:10.1177/0011128793039003007

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…By 1990, it was estimated that 45% of the heroin smuggled into the United States and 80% of the heroin imported into New York City were from the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia. Law enforcement authorities in the United States, Canada, and Australia claimed that the Chinese dominated the heroin trade in their respective jurisdictions (Black, 1991;Bryant, 1990;Dobinson, 1993;Dubro, 1992;Schalks, 1991;S. Zhang & Chin, 2003).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chinese Narcotics Trafficking

Huang

Liu

Zhao

et al. 2010

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol

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Questions of existence of the "China Route" for drug smuggling and trafficking have been important in the literature. The profile of the offenders, particularly whether they are primarily members of traditional criminal organization, is a hotly debated issue. Much qualitative evidence has been collected and it provides important insights into these questions. However, little quantitative data has ever been collected and analyzed to provide a broader picture of these issues. The present study involves the systematical collection of data from court sentencing files from seven high courts whose jurisdictions cover the China Route. The findings provide valuable information that sheds light on the debated questions. Some evidence consistent with the China Route arguments is found. No evidence supports the idea that traditional organized criminal syndicates are behind most offenses. Logistic regression results reveal interesting associations between offender characteristics and types of offenses.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chinese Narcotics Trafficking

Huang

Liu

Zhao

et al. 2010

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol

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“…The entrepreneurs are organized only to the extent that they can effectively carry out illicit activities, which is a utilitarian or rational behavior, as the economists have advocated (Reuter, 1983;Savona, 1990). A number of studies have focused on the entrepreneurial nature of organized crime and described the transitory alliances of bold risk-takers who seize opportunities to make large profits on their investments (Dobinson, 1993;Potter, 1994). Apart from a relatively small core group, most associates are brought in as needed to provide special services.…”

Section: Zhang Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enter the Dragon: Inside Chinese Human Smuggling Organizations*

2002

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This paper examines the inner workings of Chinese human smuggling organizations. Contrary to widely held conceptions about Chinese organized crime, most alien smugglers are otherwise ordinary citizens whose familial networks and fortuitous social contacts have enabled them to pool resources to transport human cargoes around the world. They come from diverse backgrounds and form temporary alliances to carry out smuggling operations. With the exception of a shared commitment to making money, little holds them together. The smuggling organizations mostly resemble ad hoc task forces and are assembled for specific operations. These organizations have clear divisions of labor with limited hierarchical structures. We discuss the theoretical implications of their unique organizational characteristics.

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“…Con aproximadamente 25.000 miembros 26 , la tríada 14K siempre ha carecido de una jerarquía interna centralizada, y aunque controla sus operaciones ilegales desde Hong Kong, se ha expandido a otros países donde la comunidad de expatriados chinos es numerosa 27 . Tanto así que cuenta con el control total de la importación y reexportación de heroína y opio en China, Canadá, Tailandia, Filipinas y Sudáfrica (Dobinson, 1993), además de controlar la zona aduanera de Países Bajos, Bélgica y Luxemburgo Benelux para la distribución de heroína a todo el continente europeo. Este es su negocio más importante, aunque también se dedican a las apuestas y casinos ilegales, usura, blanqueo de capitales, sicariato, tráfico de armas, prostitución, trata de seres humanos, extorsión, falsificación de productos de marca y, en menor medida, robos a domicilios (Lo, 2010b).…”

Section: La Triada 14 K Y El Eln: Dos Casos De Estudio Del Cotunclassified