The 2010 Report on Organized Crime published last month by the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada highlights current criminal markets operating in Canada. In any criminal market, the proceeds of the underlying criminal activity are laundered to conceal the origin of the funds. According to the report, the main criminal markets in Canada are:
- counterfeit goods smuggled into Canada from Asia and the U.S.;
- sale of illicit drugs originating from the U.S.;
- theft and traffic of illicit pharmaceuticals such as valium, klonopin, ativan, ritalin and oxycontin. Pharmaceuticals are obtained illicitly through armed robberies, employee theft and the diversion of pharmaceuticals from domestic distribution channels;
- trafficking in arms and weapons into Canada from the U.S.;
- mortgage fraud in which mortgage industry insiders (identified in the report as vendors, mortgage brokers, real estate agents, lawyers and title insurers) cooperate in or facilitate the fraud; and
- securities fraud in which social media vehicles, such as Facebook, Craigslist and Kijiji, play an increasingly important role for criminals to lure and defraud investors.
CISC collects intelligence from provincial counterparts and police agencies and analyzes developments and trends in criminal markets in Canada.