ACR one zero one, week 11

Lecture Recap (Week 11)

• Illicit conduct crossing territorial borders often involves:
  • Trafficking of people and/or illicit products.
• Wide-ranging harms:
  • Exploitation
  • Corruption
  • Global instability
• Domestic and global responses:
  • Border detection
  • UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
  • Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization)
  • Europol (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation)
  • Treaties
• Response limitations:
  • Sovereignty
  • Jurisdictional uncertainty
  • Bearing capability

Waste Trafficking

• Waste trafficking is not a victimless crime.
• Millions of tons of waste are illegally traded across borders annually.
• Harms:
  • Environmental degradation
  • Harms communities
  • Undermines the circular economy
• UNWaste project tackles waste trafficking by:
  • Strengthening cooperation between the EU and Southeast Asia.
  • Analyzing policies
  • Mapping illegal waste flows
• Research reveals:
  • Intricate links between waste trafficking, corruption, and financial crimes.
  • Criminals use elaborate methods (on and offline) to profit from illegal waste trade.
• Urgent needs:
  • Robust legal frameworks
  • Stronger enforcement
  • Greater transparency
  • Coordinated international action
• Closing loopholes prevents illegal waste shipments from reaching countries where they cannot be sustainably processed.
• Goal: Support legal waste trade and pave the way for a truly circular economy

Harms of People Smuggling

• Unsafe conditions for migrants
  *Death rate among migrants trying to cross into the U.S. from Canada illegally.
• Emotional and psychological trauma
  *Migrants, especially children, face trauma, fear, and instability during crossings.
• Underreporting of Deaths
  *Likely more deaths than reported.
  *Families may not know the fate of missing migrants, causing prolonged grief.

Why Border Protection Techniques and Policies Fail to Address People Smuggling

• Numerous Unmonitored Border Crossing Points
  *Authorities are unaware of all secret routes used for smuggling.
• Strict Border Rules Don't Deter People
  *People will always find a way to cross borders, even if it means taking more dangerous routes.
• Lack of Attention to Root Causes
  *Border protection policies are reactive rather than addressing the reasons people are attempting to cross borders illegally.

Impact of the Current Political Climate Between the U.S. and Canada on Human Smuggling

• Unpredictability
  *The current president's unpredictable policies create uncertainty in addressing human smuggling.
• Fear Incitement
  *The president incites fear, leading people to make dangerous decisions to find safety.
• Importance of Cooperation
  *Crimes that cross borders require cooperation between countries.
• Dialogue and Tension
  *Dialogue exists but is undermined by tension and rhetoric.

Harms of Wildlife Trafficking

• Harm to Animals
  *Animals are trafficked in ways that cause them harm.
• Environmental Harm
  *Biosecurity risks: Introducing foreign diseases into Australia.
  *Native flora and fauna at risk.
  *Risk to people depending on what is being trafficked.
  *Taking wildlife out of Australia can harm ecosystems in other countries.
  * Support for Organized Crime
  *Trafficking happens because there is demand, making it a profitable business for criminal organizations.
• Zoonotic Diseases
  *Trafficked animals may carry diseases that can spread to humans (zoonotic diseases).

Why Improve Detection and Prevention Methods

• Market Demand
  *Wildlife trafficking exists due to market demand and causes significant harm.
• Scanning Bags
  *Checking everyone's bags to stop wildlife from coming in will broaden the detection scope.

Concerns of Using 3D X-Ray Technology for Detection

• Accuracy
  *The technology may not always be accurate, leading to missed contraband items.
• Manual Checks
  *Border agents may still need to physically check items.
• Cost
  *Expensive to implement, especially in every airport terminal.
• Algorithm Gaps
  *Loopholes exist if the AI algorithm doesn't detect certain items.
  *The AI thing has to scan absolutely everything before it detects them.
• Privacy
  *Scanning bags might retain personal information and intimate look at private belongings.
• Effect of immigration
  *People come to the country a lot slower and it will have a minor effect.
  *It will cause immigration to increase.
• Protection of Officers
  *Protects border officers of handling dangerous or hazardous wildlife.

Harms of Drug Trafficking

• Harm to Individuals
  *Harms that drugs bring to individuals due to consumption.
• Growth in Organized Crime
  *Encourages growth in organized crime, which may lead to other illegal activities.
• Strain on Healthcare System
  *People end up in the hospital because of drug effects.

Why the Golden Triangle is a Target for Drug Trafficking

• Location and Weak Law Enforcement
  *It's where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet; region has weak law enforcement.
  *Mountainous regions, so it is hard to control the area.
  *Easy access to get in, like, quite undetected.
• Easy Access
  *Easy access to three points for people to pass through.

The roles of Drug Trafficking in Thailand and Responses

• Strong Deterrence
  *There is a strong deterrence for people smuggling drugs.
• Reinforce Security to Keep Watch
  *Reinforce security to keep an eye on and facilitate conversations.
• Recognizing Security Weak Point
  *They realized that this is a weak point.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
  *Recognized as a weak point and looking for ways to watch and reinforce the area.