[JURIST] An unnamed Australian man has allegedly bribed New South Wales judges with approximately $2.2 million in order to obtain less severe jail sentences, according to confidential police documents cited by Fairfax Media and Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Four Corners [corporate websites] Monday. According to the reports [Four Corners report, New Daily report], the man has ties to the italian mafia and took part in manipulating the country’s seafood and other industries. Links between Australian politicians and the mafia were also indicated [ABC report] by the report.

Organized crime plays a significant role in arms, drug, and human trafficking around the world. Last year, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) hosted an event [JURIST report] to urge the prosecution of maritime drug traffickers. In 2013, the UNODC issued a report [JURIST report] calling for organized crime in Eastern Africa to be tackled both within the region and the markets where its illicit goods are sold. In 2012, it specifically began warning [JURIST report] of organizations that move from country to country to avoid law enforcement.