How crime took on the world - Part Three

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How crime took on the world - Part Three

Misha Glenny charts the explosion of international crime since the fall of the Soviet bloc, and explains how and why international mafias now pose an unprecedented threat to stability and the rule of law.

  • More from this series

    • Part One
      Canada's production of marijuana challenges the US DEA
    • Part Two
      Misha Glenny goes to the Balkans to follow the trail of smuggled cigarettes.
    • Part Three
      South Africa's private security sector has boomed as people become obsessed with personal safety.
    • Part Four
      Misha Glenny goes to Brazil which produces more cyber-criminals than any other nation.

  • Photo gallery

    Misha's photos from the Balkans

In Part Three, he goes to South Africa where Since the end of Apartheid, personal security has become almost a national obsession; the number of private security firms has mushroomed.

But, as he discovers, the uncertainty surrounding the transition from the apartheid regime to multi-party democracy proved fertile ground for international criminal gangs.

The country became a hub for the trafficking of drugs, weapons, cars, minerals and women.

It is a problem the government has been reluctant to tackle but one that is proving to be one of the biggest challenges facing the country.

First broadcast on May 12 2008

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