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Northern Essex Community College

Module 12 Prep Activity

Review the activity overview, learning objectives, directions, and submission expectations before submitting your work.

Overview

Organized crime and terrorism are often discussed as separate threats, but the two can overlap in important ways. Organized criminal groups are typically motivated by profit, while terrorist organizations are usually motivated by political, ideological, religious, or social goals. However, both may use similar methods, including drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, extortion, cybercrime, and smuggling networks.

This activity asks you to examine whether organized crime and terrorism should be treated as separate problems or as connected networks. You will prepare arguments supporting both positions and evaluate how law enforcement agencies should respond to criminal activity that crosses local, national, and international boundaries.

Learning Objectives

(These objectives support the prep activity and are not the questions to be answered.)

  • LO1: Explain the similarities and differences between organized crime and terrorism. (SLO6)
  • LO2: Evaluate how criminal activities may support terrorist organizations and complicate law enforcement responses. (SLO6)
Prep Topic
  • Organized crime groups and terrorist organizations may have different goals, but they can rely on similar criminal activities to raise money, move people, obtain weapons, and avoid detection.
  • Create a bullet list of arguments supporting both positions below.
  • Position A: Organized crime and terrorism should be treated as connected threats because both rely on illegal networks, financial crimes, smuggling routes, and transnational cooperation.
  • Position B: Organized crime and terrorism should be treated as separate threats because their goals, motivations, structures, and long-term objectives are different.
  • Prepare at least five talking points supporting each position.
  • Identify specific criminal activities that may connect organized crime and terrorism, such as:
    • Drug trafficking
    • Weapons trafficking
    • Human trafficking
    • Money laundering
    • Extortion
    • Kidnapping for ransom
    • Cybercrime
    • Document fraud
    • Smuggling operations
    • Cryptocurrency or financial fraud
  • Consider examples involving groups such as drug cartels, ISIS, Hezbollah, FARC, the Taliban, Russian organized crime groups, or other transnational criminal networks.
  • After preparing arguments for both positions, identify one criminal activity that you believe creates the greatest connection between organized crime and terrorism and explain why.
  • Be prepared to defend either position during the in-class debate regardless of your personal opinion.
Acceptable & Ethical Use of AI
  • You may use AI tools to help identify examples of organized crime, terrorism financing, or transnational criminal activity; however, you should independently verify any information before including it in your prep activity.
  • If you use AI to assist with brainstorming or research, your final prep must reflect your own analysis, conclusions, and understanding of the course material.
Directions

Please read all instructions carefully before submitting your prep activity.

  • Your prep should be no longer than 1 page.
  • This NOT a paper but rather talking points in bullets for our in-class meeting.
  • Abstract NOT needed.
  • Sources are NOT needed.
  • Submissions are checked against a Plagiarism Checker and AI Detector.
    • Direct quotes should not exceed 15% of the total paper.
    • AI Usage – you must use AI ethically. Papers written by an AI is cheating.
  • Stop over-thinking this activity. It should be a simple list of talking points.
Submission Guidelines
  • Submit your prep activity through the designated submission area.
  • Accepted formats include Word or PDF unless otherwise specified.
  • Review the grading rubric before submitting your work.
  • Submissions are checked using both a plagiarism checker and AI detection software.
  • Direct quotations should not exceed 15% of the total submission.
Important Reminder

Important: All work must be your own. AI may be used only in the limited and ethical ways described above. Using AI to write your submission is considered academic dishonesty. This activity is intended to prepare you for class discussion, so focus on creating your own talking points and analysis.