Organized Crime in Bhutan: An Overview

Types of Organized Crime

Bhutan, a small country located in the Himalayas between India and China, faces various forms of organized crime. Here are some of the types:

Human Trafficking

• Significant strides: Bhutan has made significant progress in combating human trafficking by collaborating with international NGOs.
• Establishment of women and child protection units: The government has established women and child protection units to provide support to victims.

Illicit Drug Trade

• Efforts to eliminate addiction: Efforts have been made to eliminate drug addiction, but minimal work has been put forth to address the issue.
• Limited focus on supply-side issues: There is a lack of focus on addressing the supply-side issues related to illicit drugs.

Money Laundering

• Risk of money laundering: There is still a risk of money laundering due to a lack of expertise on financial crime and ineffective confiscation of illicit proceeds.
• Need for improved financial regulation: Bhutan needs to improve its financial regulations to prevent money laundering.

Actors Involved

The following actors are involved in organized crime in Bhutan:

Government Agencies

• Participation in anti-trafficking efforts: The government participates in initiatives to prevent human trafficking and illicit drug trafficking.
• Publication of national prevention strategy: A national prevention strategy was published in 2021.

Law Enforcement

• Lack of corruption: There are no widespread reports of corruption among Bhutanese law enforcement officials.
• Human rights violations: However, there have been reports of human rights violations by the police against external ethnic populations.

NGOs

• Limited victim support services: Most victim-support services are still provided by NGOs, and these services are limited to female victims.

Methods Used

The following methods are used in organized crime in Bhutan:

Whitewashing

• Cases of whitewashing: Cases of whitewashing to protect Bhutan’s image are still covered up.

Human Rights Abuses

• Human rights abuses against ethnically Nepali Bhutanese citizens-turned-refugees: Human rights abuses against ethnically Nepali Bhutanese citizens-turned-refugees are still covered up.

Consequences

The consequences of organized crime in Bhutan include:

Stability of Territorial Integrity

• Relatively stable territorial integrity: Bhutan’s territorial integrity is relatively stable; however, the conflict between China and India at the Doklam pass has highlighted the fragility of its borders.

Influence on Policymaking

• Increasing influence of China: China’s influence over policymaking in some parts of Bhutan is increasing.

Efforts to Combat Organized Crime

The following efforts are being made to combat organized crime in Bhutan:

Legislation

• Legislation to combat money laundering and terrorism financing: Bhutan has passed legislation to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
• Collaboration with other countries: The government collaborates with international NGOs to develop victim-identification guidelines.

In conclusion, the report highlights the various aspects of organized crime in Bhutan, including its types, actors, methods, consequences, and efforts to combat it. While significant strides have been made in combating human trafficking and money laundering, challenges remain in addressing drug addiction and limited victim support.