Drug, Organized Crime and Violent Extremism

This paper examines the influence of drugs on organized crime and violent extremism. It adopted case study methodology for data analysis and utilized both primary and secondary sources such as books, journals, reports for data collection. The study indicated that organized crime and violent extremism is a serious threat to national security of sovereign states. There are numerous violent extremist and organized crime groups with different types of ideologies which have guided their operations and modus operandi. In all these, one of the major phenomena that have influenced the emergence of violent extremists and sophistication of organized crime is drugs. Drugs plays a fundamental role in escalating violent extremism and that it is the most important business involving organize crime. Effective collaboration among security agencies and institutions remains the most significant approach to tackle drug trafficking via organized crime. Collective efforts are needed to build resilient policy framework, law enforcement strategies and strong legislations and digital infrastructures towards elimination of organized crime and violent extremism with strong links to drug trafficking.