Different organizations and government bodies use a range of names to describe the types of crime discussed in this report. Today, almost all serious crime falls into the broad category of transnational organized crime (TOC), a subcategory of which is organized crime groups (OCGs). TOC is also associated with terrorism. Transnational crime represents a massive and lucrative underground economy that spans the entire world – and it is growing in size and scope. It is important to distinguish “transnational” crime from “international,” which is recognized and governed by international law and includes crimes against humanity, such as genocide. According to the FBI, “TOC poses a significant and growing threat to national and international security with dire implications for public safety, public health, democratic institutions, and economic stability across the globe.” 7 According to Europol’s Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA), 8 major areas of activity for transnational crime organizations include cybercrime; drug production, trafficking, and distribution; migrant smuggling and human trafficking; property crimes including trade in illicit goods and services; and criminal finance and money laundering. The reason serious and organized crime is growing is its extreme profitability. Although some transnational criminal activity is committed by nation-state actors with political goals or those who seek to unsettle international peace, 9 the most serious crime organizations are run like businesses. WHAT IS SERIOUS AND ORGANIZED CRIME? 7 https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/organized-crime 8 https://www.europol.europa.eu/socta-report 9 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/35317222.pdf?repositoryId=894 5