Investigating Chinese Crime Entrepreneurs

摘要

This article gives a brief overview of how Chinese criminals, residing in the Netherlands, organize their illegal businesses. It will focus on the smuggling of precursor chemicals PMK and BMK, which are used for the production of MDMA and amphetamine respectively. The Chinese crime community that is being described here is predominantly Cantonese speaking. Chinese criminals from Hong Kong and the Guangdong province who live in Europe have been traditionally active in the smuggling of various illegal goods (they are not involved in human smuggling). Since the early 1990s, these criminals have shifted their attention to the trading of precursor chemicals that are smuggled from China. In describing the organization of their activities, the article will also address the backgrounds of the Chinese criminals and several cultural aspects that play a significant role in the way they organize their crimes. Finally, several recommendations will be put forward that have to be taken into account when investigating Chinese criminal groups.