How to measure organized crime?
A series of 13 discussion papers, one for each illicit market considered during the development of the Index.
Read more on globalinitiative.netCriminal markets
5.15
An assessment of the value, prevalence and non-monetary impacts of a specific crime type.
Human trafficking
7.00
Illicit activity involving coercion, deception, abduction or fraud for the purpose of exploitation, regardless of the victim’s consent.
Human smuggling
5.00
Activities by an organized crime group involving the illegal entry, transit or residence of migrants for a financial or material benefit.
Arms trafficking
2.50
The sale, acquisition, movement, and diversion of arms, their parts and ammunition from legal to illegal commerce and/or across borders.
Flora crimes
7.00
The illicit trade and possession of species covered by CITES convention, and other species protected under national law.
Fauna crimes
3.50
The poaching, illicit trade in and possession of species covered by CITES and other species protected by national law. Includes IUU fishing.
Non-renewable resource crimes
4.50
The illicit extraction, smuggling, mingling, bunkering or mining of natural resources and the illicit trade of such commodities.
Heroin trade
4.50
The production, distribution and sale of heroin. Consumption of the drug is considered in determining the reach of the criminal market.
Cocaine trade
6.50
The production, distribution and sale of cocaine and its derivatives. Consumption is considered in determining the reach of the market.
Cannabis trade
7.00
The illicit cultivation, distribution and sale of cannabis oil, resin, herb or leaves. Consumption is used to determine the market's reach.
Synthetic drug trade
4.00
The production, distribution and sale of synthetic drugs. Consumption is considered in determining the reach of the market.
Criminal actors
4.50
An assessment of the impact and influence of a specific criminal actor type on society.
Mafia-style groups
1.00
Clearly defined organized crime groups that usually have a known name, defined leadership, territorial control and identifiable membership.
Criminal networks
6.50
Loose networks of criminal associates engaging in criminal activities who fail to meet the defining characteristics of mafia-style groups.
State-embedded actors
6.50
Criminal actors that are embedded in, and act from within, the state’s apparatus.
Foreign actors
4.00
State and/or non-state criminal actors operating outside their home country. Includes foreign nationals and diaspora groups.
Political leadership and governance
5.00
The State's role in responding to organized crime and its effectiveness. Strong political leadership/governance suggests higher resilience.
Government transparency and accountability
5.00
The degree to which states have put oversight mechanisms in place to ensure against state collusion in illicit activities.
International cooperation
4.50
A country's supranational structures and processes of interaction, policy making and concrete implementation to respond to organized crime.
National policies and laws
5.00
A state's legal action and structures put in place to respond to organized crime.
Judicial system and detention
5.00
Refers to a state’s judiciary’s power to effectively and independently enforce judgments on organized crime-related cases.
Law enforcement
5.50
The state’s ability to investigate, gather intelligence, protect and enforce adherence to its rules and procedures against organized crime.
Territorial integrity
6.50
The degree to which states are able to control their physical and cyber territory and infrastructure against organized criminal activities.
Anti-money laundering
5.50
A state’s ability to implement measures to combat money laundering and other related threats to the integrity of its financial system.
Economic regulatory capacity
5.50
The ability to control/manage the economy and regulate transactions (national and international) for trade to thrive within the rule of law.
Victim and witness support
2.50
Assistance provided to victims of various forms of organized crime, including initiatives such as witness protection programs.
Prevention
3.50
Refers to the existence of strategies, measures, resource allocation, programmes and processes that are aimed to inhibit organized crime.
Non-state actors
6.50
The degree non-state actors are allowed to engage in OC responses and their roles in supporting State efforts/ as watchdogs to governments.
Political leadership and governance
5.00
The State's role in responding to organized crime and its effectiveness. Strong political leadership/governance suggests higher resilience.
Government transparency and accountability
5.00
The degree to which states have put oversight mechanisms in place to ensure against state collusion in illicit activities.
International cooperation
4.50
A country's supranational structures and processes of interaction, policy making and concrete implementation to respond to organized crime.
National policies and laws
5.00
A state's legal action and structures put in place to respond to organized crime.
Judicial system and detention
5.00
Refers to a state’s judiciary’s power to effectively and independently enforce judgments on organized crime-related cases.
Law enforcement
5.50
The state’s ability to investigate, gather intelligence, protect and enforce adherence to its rules and procedures against organized crime.
Territorial integrity
6.50
The degree to which states are able to control their physical and cyber territory and infrastructure against organized criminal activities.
Anti-money laundering
5.50
A state’s ability to implement measures to combat money laundering and other related threats to the integrity of its financial system.
Economic regulatory capacity
5.50
The ability to control/manage the economy and regulate transactions (national and international) for trade to thrive within the rule of law.
Victim and witness support
2.50
Assistance provided to victims of various forms of organized crime, including initiatives such as witness protection programs.
Prevention
3.50
Refers to the existence of strategies, measures, resource allocation, programmes and processes that are aimed to inhibit organized crime.
Non-state actors
6.50
The degree non-state actors are allowed to engage in OC responses and their roles in supporting State efforts/ as watchdogs to governments.
Sex trafficking and forced labour are the most prevalent forms of exploitation in The Gambia, with the country being a source, a waypoint and a destination market for the trafficking in human beings. Women and girls are at the highest risk of becoming a victim of sex trafficking in The Gambia; however, boys are also vulnerable, being subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labour in domestic servitude or as street vendors. In many cases, the sexual exploitation of children involves child sex tourists who rely on European and Gambian travel agencies to facilitate their offending. Moreover, sex traffickers increasingly host child sex tourists in private residences outside the commercial tourist areas. Sierra Leonean children have also been exploited in The Gambia as ‘cultural dancers'. Women may also be trafficked abroad, often to the Middle East, where they are forced into the sex trade or labour.
The Gambia is mainly a source country for human smuggling. Since the civil war in Libya in 2011, tens of thousands of young Gambians have attempted to cross the Mediterranean to Europe among other irregular routes. Gambians have consistently been one of the top ten nationalities taking boats across the Mediterranean.
Due to a political crisis following the 2016 election, The Gambia has become more open to possible infiltration of illicit arms brokers, although no major incidents have been recorded to this effect. Nevertheless, laws on the use and possession of dangerous weapons are strict and penalties are high, with military-style firearms being illegal in the country.
In Gambia, illegal logging and timber trafficking remain the most pervasive criminal market with connections to neighbouring Senegal and Guinea Bissau. Although the current government has shown considerable political will to reduce trafficking in illicit timber and to cooperate with Senegal in this fight, cross-border illegal logging and smuggling of timber continue. In that respect, the southern border of the country hosts the trafficking routes that see flora trafficked through The Gambia to Asian markets. In regard to fauna crimes, due to illegal wildlife trafficking, chimpanzees are now extinct in The Gambia. Furthermore, hippopotamus, African elephants, lions, leopards, sperm whales, Atlantic humpbacked dolphins and the African manatee have been listed as vulnerable and endangered. Additionally, foreign actors have been reportedly involved in illegal fishing in Gambian waters. There is very little, if any, gold mining in The Gambia. However, for the last several years, there has been much public unrest due to the illegal sand mining, which has had a severe environmental impact. Overall, however, the non-renewable resource crimes market is not pervasive.
Historically, poor coastal and border controls, in addition to corrupt service members, made The Gambia an ideal transit destination for most drugs. Cannabis is the most problematic drug in The Gambia and is the cause of most drug-related crimes committed in the country. The cannabis trade appears most pervasive in The Gambia and as such, it is reportedly driving most drug-related offences in the country. Cannabis is also the most commonly seized drug in The Gambia. It mainly originates from the Casamance region in Senegal. The Gambia is a waypoint for heroin on its way to European markets. The amount of the drug that transits the country is growing at such pace that national authorities have now deemed the heroin trade a national security threat.
The Gambia is also a major transit hub for cocaine trafficked from South America to European markets. Tonnes of cocaine moving via maritime shipments and airports have been seized in the country. Moreover, the domestic cocaine market is also on the rise, partly driven by the growing tourism sector. In regard to synthetic drugs, there is some evidence that methamphetamine is produced in The Gambia. Domestic use is thought to be common, especially among tourists. The abuse of drugs such as diazepam and clonazepam is gradually increasing among the youth. Moreover, The Gambia is used as a transit country for methamphetamine from Nigeria. Benzodiazepines are also common in the country.
*This indicator was first included in the 2023 iteration of the tool
*This indicator was first included in the 2023 iteration of the tool
Criminal networks are a prevalent criminal actor type in The Gambia. Despite the country’s political transition, organized crime is still considered a threat to development, rule of law and national security. Furthermore, close to the border region between Senegal and The Gambia, separatist violence and armed banditry occurs due to the ongoing conflict in the Senegalese Casamance region. Although separatist fighters primarily target the military, civilians travelling or living in the region have also suffered attacks by both militants and criminal elements. In terms of foreign actors, there is a high presence of Chinese firms in The Gambia that have allegedly engaged in polluting the environment while producing materials ready for export to China. Even though these activities do not constitute organized crime per se, the possibility of organized crime links does exist. The illicit distribution of psychotropic drugs is also associated with foreign actors and the tourism industry.
Police officers are perceived as the most corrupt officials in the country, along with business executives. Although corruption and extortion by public officers are punishable under Gambian criminal code, in reality, state authorities have often been involved in corruption with no repercussion. The change of leadership has stemmed this condition. However, previous rulers have not yet been brought to justice. Currently no mafia-style groups have been identified in The Gambia.
Despite the change of leadership, there is no evidence of any proactive measures to counter the rise in organized criminal activities. Meanwhile, The Gambia’s corruption is less of an issue compared to other African countries. However, there is clearly scope for significant improvement in anti-corruption efforts, especially in light of lingering doubts about the government’s commitment to tackle corrupt practices.
On the international level, The Gambia has ratified the majority of relevant international treaties pertaining to organized crime. However, there are no reports of any significant collaboration with international agencies to build capacity against organized crime, except for the signing of an anti-drug memorandum of understanding with Senegal. On the domestic level, The Gambia has a number of laws related to organized crimes, including such that deem forms of organized crime a ‘serious offence’ or criminalize organized crime groups. Under the current administration, there is an improved policy-making environment and many relevant institutions exist to counter organized crime. The current government is also more politically sensitive to the need of legal and policy frameworks dedicated to countering organized crime.
The Gambia does not have any judicial units set up with the specific aim of fighting organized crime. However, the country has a functional judiciary, which has a history of sourcing judges from other African countries, especially Nigeria, to enhance its effectiveness. The government has also made efforts to professionalize the judiciary and recruit more Gambians so the judiciary can be considered more independent. In regard to law enforcement, there have been ongoing efforts under the current administration to diminish corruption that undermines law enforcement agencies' effectiveness, including removing the exercise of arbitrary detention and arrest. Given the small size of the country, with far shorter land and sea boundaries compared to some other countries in Africa, The Gambia’s borders are much easier to control. Border management is exercised by means of frequent patrols by the Immigration Border Patrol Unit with the help of sister services. The country is also working with international partners to build a national border control system.
The Gambia's economic regulatory environment is in need of substantial improvements. The new government has shown a major interest in deepening democratic governance, which is critical to a sustainable economic regulatory capacity. The ongoing efforts pertaining to improved legal environment, enhanced anti-corruption measures and improvement in political freedoms are strengthening the economic regulatory capacity of the country. Meanwhile, The Gambia has also made clear efforts to tackle money laundering and financial crime. Under the present government, there has been a push to establish a financial intelligence unit and cooperate with the Financial Action Task Force in conducting reviews. However, the need to strengthen enforcement capacity remains.
The Gambia lacks any formal programme of victim or witness protection, despite its problem of human smuggling. However, there has been an international effort to introduce a project aimed at providing assistance to high officials and front-line enforcement officers to fight organized crime in The Gambia. A training session was also held in The Gambia to improve law enforcement’s capacity to better respond and tackle drug trafficking as well as other related forms of transnational organized crime. As for press freedom, The Gambia is at a critical juncture. Since the change in political power, there has been greater space for civil-society organizations, including the media, to participate in the political life of the country. Notably, laws used to intimidate and silence journalists in the country are being repealed or amended. Regardless of that, practices built in the system during decades of repression against free press have not yet been completely overcome. This is most evident in the closure of some privately-owned media stations.
Access the GI-TOC website for more content related to the Global Organized Crime Index
For a better experience, please rotate your device.
The criminal markets score is represented by the pyramid base size and the criminal actors score is represented by the pyramid height, on a scale ranging from 1 to 10. The resilience score is represented by the panel height, which can be identified by the side of the panel.
A series of 13 discussion papers, one for each illicit market considered during the development of the Index.
Read more on globalinitiative.net
We're constantly working to improve the Index. By participating in this survey, you will be providing us with insights and suggestions that will help us make the Index an even better resource.
give us your feedback
This report was funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State.
ENACT is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Institute for Security Studies and INTERPOL, in affiliation with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.