Anti-gang legislation has been approved in the House of Assembly, according to Attorney General Mark Pettingill.He told The Royal Gazette that the definition of a criminal gang contained in the Transnational Organised Crime Act could be used locally as well as overseas to target groups profiting from illicit activity.The Act was passed by MPs to bring the Island in line with the requirements of the Palermo Convention, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.“There was no question that we had to ensure it covered organised crime in Bermuda,” Mr Pettingill said.Asked if it could be used by local authorities to target home-grown criminal gangs, Mr Pettingill said: “I certainly hope so. It’s long overdue, in my opinion. This was our recommendation to the previous government at the convention in 2007, and I made it a priority on entering office.”The Act tackles “organised crime, not just in the form of the Mafia and drug cartels — it defines an organised criminal gang down to a group of three people, and that would certainly apply to criminal activity in relation to gangs in Bermuda”.Defining a gang in this context doesn’t have constitutional ramifications, he said.“More importantly, our international colleagues and members states of the Palermo Convention want to know that we’re taking these steps — we’re insuring as a government that we’re complying with international standards and we’re ahead of the game.”