When criminals are put behind bars, the freedom they enjoyed on the outside is curtailed. This is a key feature of imprisonment – that the limitations also act as a deterrent to other criminals.
But recently, at Tocorón prison in Caracas, Venezuela, more than 11,000 soldiers and police officers stormed the premises, only to discover the inmates had turned it into a luxury resort.
The prison was outfitted with saunas, mini bars, state-of-the-art TVs, and a betting shop. They’d even built a small zoo, a swimming pool and a nightclub.
This isn’t the first story of gangs and cartels living a life of luxury behind bars, through corruption and connections on the outside.
In the 90s, Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar built a mountainside retreat known as ‘La Catedral’, complete with a football field, Jacuzzi, and waterfall. It was more of a fortress to keep his enemies out, rather than a prison to keep him in.
Drug cartels and criminal enterprises often use their dark and wide-reaching influence to wield power in society and hold sway over the authorities that are meant to stop them. This is particularly the case in Venezuela, where poor rule of law has enabled the drug trade to flourish.
The South American country stands as an example of how pernicious and pervasive corruption can be. Not only does it fuel transnational crime, it affects public resources, impedes good governance and can even destabilize countries.
No nation is immune, especially when criminal actors often have more resources than the very authorities that should be fighting them – which can be the case with drug cartels and organized crime syndicates.
As a business, it is vital you know the lay of the land in the markets where you operate to avoid being caught up in criminality and corruption. You need a good understanding of the law and other regulations in those markets, as well as establishing an ethical culture of integrity in your own company and conducting due diligence.
For example, it’s not just the trafficking of Colombian cocaine through Venezuela that is bringing illicit funds into the country. Other criminal acts such as illicitly mined gold and sanctions-breaking oil trades are also making money for criminal organizations and corrupt individuals.
These acts have wide-reaching consequences and if your business inadvertently becomes complicit in illegal activities and falls foul of the law, ignorance is no excuse.
At The Owl, we are skilled anti-corruption investigators. We carry out in-depth corruption and bribery investigations so you can protect your international trade deals and safeguard your assets and reputation. Well-versed in both the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act, we can help you conduct robust investigations that keep your business safe.
