Organized crime the Nordic way

Abstract

Organized crime in the Nordic countries shares some common traits and usually takes the form of small and flexible networks. There are very few, if any, Mafia-like groups. The level of corruption of officials is low and the level of violence between groups is, with some exceptions, quite low. Organized crime reflects the societies, the economy, and the historic and cultural background of the Nordic countries. Organized crime can not be said to be strongly integrated in the central trade and industry. Criminal networks are not a new feature. There have been well-established groups of smugglers and illegal makers of alcohol since the early twentieth century. Organized crime as a topic, problem, and social phenomenon was not focused on before the early 1990s.