Criminal Entrepreneurs and Organised Crime

• In Event: Studying Organized Crime Around the World: The Benefit of Different Methodological Approaches

Abstract

Studying ‘successful’ criminal entrepreneurs promises a novel understanding of organised crime. This study examines criminal entrepreneurs from three modi: modus essendi, modus operandi, and modus vivendi. Modus essendi examines the criminal entrepreneur mind by connecting elements of the entrepreneur identity, epistemology and ontology. Modus operandi stands for operating method, as how did criminal entrepreneurs operate. Modus vivendi is embedded in networking, as how did criminal entrepreneurs use social network to meet their ends. The four criminal entrepreneurs featured in this study are Lennie McPherson, Abe Saffron, George Freeman and Sir Robert Askin. The study takes a qualitative approach, with a case study design.

Author

• Khaled Alnkhailan, Queensland University of Technology