General Facts

No organized crime in your neighbourhood? Think again. You and your family can be victims of organized crime wherever you are – on a city street, in a suburban neighbourhood or a rural community. Organized crime can strike when and where we are least prepared – through the Internet, on a quiet street, in the local schools.

Members of organized crime groups can slip into any community. They can be involved in such activities as:

• selling counterfeit goods, such as brand-name watches and pharmaceuticals
• illegally producing marihuana in “grow ops” in private homes
• selling illicit drugs to kids – often in the school yard
• running houses of prostitution
• stealing cars for resale in Canada or abroad
• identity theft
• using legitimate businesses as a way to launder the proceeds of crime

Their reach is global. A car stolen in your community may be resold in Europe with a new vehicle identification number. Or it may travel across Canada with a load of illegal drugs.

Occasionally, airport and port workers are subverted and used by organized crime. Criminals may even infiltrate your computer through the Internet, stealing your personal identity.

These illegal activities spawn violence, health problems and financial loss for many Canadians.