Authors :
Okafor, Chidozie Raymond Patrick; Nwanga, Emeka M.; Chile-Agada, Bob; Odoemene, Ijeoma Olayinka; Ohia, Obi
Volume/Issue :
Volume 8 - 2023, Issue 10 - October
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/2p9ed9u8
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/42zubh9d
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10066264
Abstract :
This study took a critical insight into the
behavioral characterization of an organized crime network
in southeast Nigeria due to the high wave of insecurity of
lives and properties in the region. The researchers
identified some existing organized crime groups in the
region to include herdsmen, unknown gunmen,
confraternities, area boys, drug and human traffickers. A
review of current occurrences in the region from a
theoretical perspective revealed that the ideological
activities of a particular organized crime group (the
unknown gunmen), which has overwhelmed the security
apparatus due to its shroudedness in secrecy and other
forms of behavioral characterization, have become highly
prevalent. Further review revealed that little light has so
far been shone on the mapping of organized crime
behavioral characterizations, which when properly
modeled using computational-based mathematics, can help
predict their activities. Based on this gap in literature, the
researchers critically reviewed six (6) unique behavioral
characterizations of an organized crime network. The
review revealed amongst others that resilience enabled the
group resist external pressures from law enforcement
agencies while well-structuredness gave them the abilities
to creating adequate communication networks. Informed
by these expositions, the researchers concluded that in-
depth knowledge of these behavioral characterizations of
an organized crime network will not only fuel sound
computational-based backgrounds in the area of
mathematics of crime (MoC) and computational
criminology but also yield intelligent counterterrorism
approaches, which will aid the required paradigm shift
from the existing non-technological methods of tackling
crime (Sense – Response) to the technological methods of
Predict - Prevent. Guided by these, the researchers made
numerous recommendations amongst which is for security
personnel to focus intelligence gathering on the behavioral
characterizations of already existing organized crime
networks in the region, in order to effectively map and
predict their future lines of action.
Keywords :
Organized Crime Network, Unknown Gunmen, Behavioral Characterization, Mathematics of Crime, Computational Criminology.
This study took a critical insight into the
behavioral characterization of an organized crime network
in southeast Nigeria due to the high wave of insecurity of
lives and properties in the region. The researchers
identified some existing organized crime groups in the
region to include herdsmen, unknown gunmen,
confraternities, area boys, drug and human traffickers. A
review of current occurrences in the region from a
theoretical perspective revealed that the ideological
activities of a particular organized crime group (the
unknown gunmen), which has overwhelmed the security
apparatus due to its shroudedness in secrecy and other
forms of behavioral characterization, have become highly
prevalent. Further review revealed that little light has so
far been shone on the mapping of organized crime
behavioral characterizations, which when properly
modeled using computational-based mathematics, can help
predict their activities. Based on this gap in literature, the
researchers critically reviewed six (6) unique behavioral
characterizations of an organized crime network. The
review revealed amongst others that resilience enabled the
group resist external pressures from law enforcement
agencies while well-structuredness gave them the abilities
to creating adequate communication networks. Informed
by these expositions, the researchers concluded that in-
depth knowledge of these behavioral characterizations of
an organized crime network will not only fuel sound
computational-based backgrounds in the area of
mathematics of crime (MoC) and computational
criminology but also yield intelligent counterterrorism
approaches, which will aid the required paradigm shift
from the existing non-technological methods of tackling
crime (Sense – Response) to the technological methods of
Predict - Prevent. Guided by these, the researchers made
numerous recommendations amongst which is for security
personnel to focus intelligence gathering on the behavioral
characterizations of already existing organized crime
networks in the region, in order to effectively map and
predict their future lines of action.
Keywords :
Organized Crime Network, Unknown Gunmen, Behavioral Characterization, Mathematics of Crime, Computational Criminology.
