The most brutal gangs of the criminal world. The most criminal regions of Russia
There are many criminal groups in the world, which, due to their high organization and large numbers, have come to be called the mafia. This post will introduce you to the most powerful and brutal mafias in the world.
Sicilian mafia
It has been active in Sicily since the beginning of the 19th century, becoming an international organization at the beginning of the 20th century. Initially, the organization was engaged in the protection of owners of orange plantations and nobles who owned large land plots, mostly from themselves. These were the beginnings of racketeering. Later, Cosa Nostra expanded its area of activity, becoming a criminal group in all respects. Since the 20th century, banditry has become the main activity of Cosa Nostra.
Russian mafia
This is officially the most feared organized crime group. Former FBI special agents call the Russian mafia "the most dangerous people on Earth." In the West, the term “Russian mafia” can mean any criminal organization, both Russian itself and from other states of the post-Soviet space, or from the immigration environment in non-CIS countries. Some get hierarchical tattoos, often use military tactics and carry out contract killings.
Mexican Mafia (La eMe)
This gang is an ally of the Aryan Brotherhood from the southern coast of the United States. Known for her active involvement in the drug trade. Gang members are easily identified by a special tattoo in the form of a black hand located on the chest.
The Mexican Mafia was created in the late 50s by members of a Mexican street gang incarcerated in Deuel Prison, located in Trici, California. The gang was founded by thirteen Mexican-Americans from East Los Angeles, several of whom were members of the Marawila gang. They called themselves Mexicanemi, which translates from the Nahuatl language as “the one who walks with God in the heart.”
The Yakuza are organized crime syndicates in Japan, similar to the Triad in other Asian countries or the Western Mafia. However, the social organization and work patterns of the yakuza are very different from other criminal groups: they even have their own office buildings, and their actions are often and completely openly reported in the press.
One of the iconic images of the Yakuza is their intricate, colorful tattoos all over their bodies. The Yakuza use a traditional method of manually injecting ink under the skin, known as irezumi, as a form of proof of bravery as the method is quite painful.
Chinese Triad
The triad is a form of secret criminal organizations in China and the Chinese diaspora. Triads have always been characterized by common beliefs (belief in the mystical meaning of the number 3, which is where their name comes from). Currently, triads are known primarily as mafia-style criminal organizations found in Taiwan, the United States and other Chinese immigration centers, specializing in drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
"Triad" is one of the most patriotic mafias. During international events, militants guarantee the safety of foreigners, and during the SARS outbreak they even announced a $1 million bonus to a doctor who finds a cure for this disease.
Hell's Angels (USA)
One of the world's largest motorcycle clubs, with its chapters (branches) all over the world. It is included, along with Outlaws MC, Pagans MC and Bandidos MC, in the so-called “Big Four” outlaw clubs and is the most famous among them. Law enforcement agencies in a number of countries call the club a “motorcycle gang” and accuse them of drug trafficking, racketeering, trafficking in stolen goods, violence, murder, etc.
According to the legend posted on the official website of the motorcycle club, during the Second World War in US Air Force There was a 303rd heavy bomber squadron called "Hell's Angels". After the end of the war and the disbandment of the unit, the pilots were left without work. They believe that their homeland betrayed them and left them to their fate. They had no choice but to go against their “cruel country, get on motorcycles, join motorcycle clubs and rebel.”
Mara Salvatrucha
This mafia is involved in many types of criminal businesses, including trafficking in drugs, weapons and people; robberies, racketeering, contract killings, kidnappings for ransom, pimping, car thefts, money laundering and fraud.
Many street vendors and small shops located in the Mara Salvatrucha territories pay the gang up to half of their income for the opportunity to work. Many Salvadorans living in the United States are also forced to pay to MS-13; if they refuse, the bandits will mutilate or kill their relatives in their homeland.
Montreal Mafia Rizzuto
The Rizzuto are a crime family that is primarily based in Montreal but operates in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. They once merged with families in New York, which ultimately led to the mafia wars in Montreal in the late 70s. Rizzuto owns hundreds of millions of dollars worth of real estate in different countries. They own hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, construction, food, service and trading companies. In Italy they own companies producing furniture and Italian delicacies.
Mungiki (Kenya)
This is a Kenyan political-religious group, banned since 2002, reviving traditional African religion. Originated in the wake of the Mau Mau uprising. She gained notoriety in connection with massacres and clashes with the police.
Mungiki considers itself a religious group that advocates for the preservation of traditional "African way of worship, culture and way of life." Its adherents pray, turning their faces towards Mount Kenya. They also practice vows and sacrifices.
Everyone knows the rampant crime in Russia. The situation, of course, is not the same as in the dashing 90s, but all sorts of outrageous incidents still occur. In the West, and in particular in the United States, crime is one of the most widespread, brutal and notorious.
This was partly facilitated by numerous films about criminals and gangs, the creation of a romantic image of a bandit, and numerous African-American and Latino communities. In a word, gangs in the USA are a separate layer of their history, and some deserve special mention.
1. Crips - Bloods
In fact, for the uninitiated, these are two mega-largest gang confederations that have been competing with each other for a very long time. The groups number from 50 to 100 thousand people in all states.
It all started with the teenager R. Washington, who founded the Crips alliance and prescribed a well-known code for it, which included the rules not to engage in drugs, not to touch women and children, not to testify against one’s own, and so on, according to a very similar code of Cosa Nostra.
Despite the total violation of all the rules, the Crips very quickly began to grow throughout the country and the Bloods were created to counter their hegemony. Young black boys in all states began to tie red and blue bandanas on their heads as a sign of belonging to one side or another.
The confrontation between red and blue has become very famous, and has been shown in many films and comics, and even joked about in South Park.
2. MS-13
The laurels of the toughest gang in America apparently only amuse the vanity of Salvadoran refugees who have found shelter in Los Angeles. Consisting of former intelligence agents, military personnel and prisoners, the gang has a very extensive and intricate network with an incredibly tough and straightforward organization.
The FBI recently stated that this gang is their biggest headache at the moment, because MS-13 is becoming a practically criminal corporation with many branches around the world, involved in drug trafficking, gaming business, prostitution and even kidnapping politicians.
The name of the gang stands for “Salvadoran Stray Ants” and if in the USA they are at least somehow restrained by local authorities, then in El Salvador they kidnap people, shoot up buses in the middle of broad daylight and kill players right on the football field.
3. Aryan Brotherhood (AB)
A harsh prison gang helps everyone else solve cases where, it would seem, everything is under the control of the state - in prison. Aryan Brotherhood on at the moment has spread to virtually all state and federal prisons in the United States, with its agents among prison guards, prison staff, and third-party service organizations.
Recruiting inveterate criminals into its ranks, mostly life-long prisoners and repeat offenders who have nothing to lose, the Aryan Brotherhood can get hold of any prisoner and get anything out of them, or simply remove them on the orders of influential people.
With more than 15 thousand members in its ranks and extensive funding from customers, this gang has become a virtual monopolist in crime behind bars.
4.Bandidos
One of the oldest gangs in America, the Bandidos biker gang was founded in the mid-twentieth century in the state of Texas. Riding around the country in leather jackets with a cartoon bear in a sombrero, as well as a machete and a pistol in their paws, the Bandidos indeed have great ties to Mexico, using it both as a refuge and as a supplier of cheap weapons and drugs, which they then profitably resell in USA.
Over time, the gang grew and expanded, and now they have more than 30 thousand members and the largest branches in Asia, Germany and Australia. Riding around on their bikes and living almost as a community, bikers most often have no attachment to family or material values, making it very difficult for the police to somehow track them or influence them directly.
Confrontations and constant skirmishes on the highway, as well as truck robberies by motorcyclists, have long been the hallmark of the Texas underworld.
5. Black Guerilla Family
The Black Guerrilla Family, which fights for equal rights for African Americans in prison and on the outside, is also strictly ideological. Using the familiar Marxist-Leninist theory as its core idea, this revolutionary gang seeks not only equal rights for all blacks, but also the overthrow of the corrupt US government through revolution.
The Black Partisans have a very strict code, which includes a “death oath” - that is, life is pledged to the gang, and if circumstances require it, a gang member must die without hesitation. Gang influence lately is becoming more and more, because its leaders managed to come to an agreement and enlist the support of almost all influential African-American gangs, including the same Crips and Bloods.
Interestingly, each member of the gang must get a tattoo - a dragon entwining the prison tower and holding the guard of this prison in its paws.
Many of us still remember the times of racketeering in the post-Soviet space, and for those who have forgotten, we present criminal gangs, the number of members of which totals more than a million people.
This gang, which numbers about 70 thousand people, is located in the United States and even the FBI considers them the loudest and most violent group in the States. These guys are engaged in selling drugs, weapons, trafficking in people, and also commit murders to order, rob and kidnap people. The “company” is doing very well. During their activities, they managed to kill the son of the President of Honduras. You can see just how cruel these bastards are in this cute picture.
In second place in the ranking is a gang from Los Angeles - the Crips, consisting of blacks. One of the most numerous, the number of members is about 30 thousand people. They are doing the same thing as the previous ones: drug trafficking, weapons, robbery and murder. The group is in an eternal war with its analogues in activity, Bloods, and because of this enmity they try not to use the letter b. Outwardly, they try to dress in clothes that are predominantly blue. Associated to varying degrees with this group are such American hip-hop stars as Afroman, Coolio, Ice T, Snoop Dogg and Exibit.
The next crowd of thugs from Kenya numbers about half a million non-humans who are engaged in murder, robbery, robbery, etc. In their language, mungiki means many. Being a gang of thugs, this did not prevent their brothers from getting into big politics and having a huge impact on the situation in the country. The group is hostile to other ethnic groups, and usually does not speak for a long time, the head is off the shoulders and everything, as evidenced by their “trademark” in the form of a severed human head.
The gang was created back in 1960 in the Rampart area of Los Angeles. This group is usually described as the most violent in the country. 18th Street has grown rapidly over the past few years. Gang members can be easily identified by their tattoos, a common symbol of which is the number 18, which they often write in Roman numerals XVIII. They mark their territory by painting graffiti on the walls and fences of the city.
Although the 18th Street Gang has influence primarily in a few cities in Southern California, members of the gang have increasingly spread across the country, now consisting of smaller gangs that use the same number 18 to denote their group affiliation. The 18th Street Gang is primarily composed of immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador, but also includes members from other ethnic groups: Asians, blacks, natives and whites.
The group is very well organized, better than other similar monsters, mainly due to cooperation with Mexican and Colombian drug lords.
Eternal enemies of the Crips gang, these comrades appeared in the early 1970s based on the fact that the Crips at that time were pressing other sub-gangs with their egos, as a result of which the confrontation between the Bloods and the Crips reached its climax in the period from 1982 to 1984. This was mainly due to the fact that in those years drugs in the United States were very widespread and popular, and a bloody war arose between groups over markets. As a result, many Bloods "branches" had to relocate to nearby cities and push drugs there. The number of gentlemen of fortune from this composition is about 30,000 people.
The Aryan Brotherhood originates from San Quentin prison back in 1967. The gang was originally founded to provide protection for whites from black and Spanish groups, mainly the Mexican mafia. Some gang members joined AB from the Blue Birds gangster gang, organized in the 50s. Their activities are based on the sale of drugs, weapons, contract killings, racketeering and other rubbish. The number of members reaches 15 thousand people. Although the gang was created in California, it spread throughout the country's prisons. At different times, the basic idea of the gang has changed, but basically these are Nazi ideals based on racism.
To separate the youngsters from the founders of the gang and the well-deserved, so to speak, leaders, the new members of the gang received tattoos all over their faces and throughout their bodies. Some subsequently removed the tattoos from their bodies.
This group was created in 1993 in San Paolo. The organization is a prison organization and operates in the prison spaces of Taubata. These men, in addition to childish amusements such as kidnappings, murders, arms and drug trafficking, have a real idea: they are for easing the conditions in prisons. Despite the fact that they are in custody, connections with the outside world help them conduct their activities and spread their influence beyond the prison. The number is about 6 thousand people, plus many like-minded people who support them, as evidenced by the organization of mass synchronized escapes and riots in prisons throughout the country.
The Wah Ching, also known in slang as "Dub C," is a large three-way organization that originated in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1960s. The name literally translates to “Chinese youth.” The group consisted mainly of immigrants from Hong Kong, later united with Americans from San Francisco and Los Angeles and is now a single clan.
Wah Ching is an organized gang, which since the early 60s was just a street gang of bandits, over time grew into a criminal organization that includes about 70 thousand members of different ages and nationalities. Now Wah Ching includes many Vietnamese and Chinese. They are still doing the same things: robbery, contract killings, violence, arms trafficking, drug trafficking, prostitution, etc.
Street gang founded in the late sixties in Chicago. Many believe that in the early seventies the Crips group emerged from it. The whole point is that The Black Gangster Disciple also wore blue things, just like the Crips, but they have nothing in common with them, except, of course, for their activities, namely trafficking in people, weapons, bananas, sorry, joke, which bananas, drugs and te de and te pe.
In the mid-seventies, the gang split into three after the death of their leader King David in 1974, and parts of the gang now refer to themselves as the Black Gangsters, Gangster Disciples, and Black Disciples. Most noteworthy are the Black Disciples, who became notorious for executing one of their members, an 11-year-old boy nicknamed Yummy. At one time, in the 90s, when the gang began to earn more than $100,000,000, the US government, to put it mildly, saw the light and decided to let the kids go a little.
Their number reaches 35 thousand; the gang has settled in Nigeria, in Lagos. It began its existence as just a gang of street children and grew into a huge criminal group involved in illegal drug trafficking, murder and other dirt. The Lagos government tried to stop their activities using “human” methods, but due to the deplorable economic situation in the country and unemployment, such guys will only bloom and develop their vigorous activity.
There are many illegal groups in the world that control industry, engage in smuggling, sell drugs, kill and rob. The idealization and romanticization of the bandit image is rampant on both sides of the pond, but who are these guys? Where did they come from and why are they still at large? Our selection includes only the most famous organized crime groups, repeatedly glorified by prison folklore and Hollywood films.
16. Nazi Low Riders
The Nazi Rioters, or NB, are a white supremacist prison gang operating in Southern California. They are closely associated with larger and more well-known gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood and the Ku Klux Klan. Feuds include Nuestra Familia, Bloods, Crips, Norteños, Mara Salvatrucha and the Los Angeles Crime Family. The Nazi name does not refer to anti-Semitism, but rather to racism itself, and the term "rebels" is borrowed from Latin American gangs.
The National Library was founded back in the 70s, and by 1996 they only had 28 members. They have grown since then, and currently the gang consists of about 5,000 people, including those at large and in prison. NBs often commit acts of racist violence in prison in order to move up the prison hierarchy. Members of the NB may have tattoos depicting swastikas and SS insignia. A tattoo with the letters NLR is most often inked on the stomach, back or neck, and although it means Nazi Lowriders, its wearer can easily decipher the tattoo as No Longer Racist. Sometimes Nazi Low Riders is written in Old English script or runes. The group is active against blacks, Hispanics, other minorities and “race traitors.” There is a well-known case of William Ritchie, who stole the keys to handcuffs in prison and cut the face and neck of a black prisoner with them.
Gang members often hang out near high schools, fast food joints, and bars in an attempt to recruit potential new gang members. They make money through various types of illegal activities, but primarily through the trafficking and production of methamphetamine.
15. Mara Salvatrucha
The international criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha was created by Salvadorans in the early 1980s in Los Angeles to combat street gangs. Slang for "Salvadoran Stray Ant Brigade" and often shortened to MS-13. They are found in Los Angeles, although they are found in other areas of North America and Mexico. According to various estimates, the number of this criminal syndicate is approximately 70,000 thousand people.
Mara Salvatrucha engages in many forms of criminal activity, including drug, arms and human trafficking, robbery, racketeering, contract killings, kidnapping for ransom, car theft, money laundering and fraud.
A distinctive feature of the group's members are tattoos all over their bodies, including on the face and inner lips. Tattoos not only show gang affiliation, but also tell about criminal biography and status. Today it is one of the most influential gangs in the Northern and South America, Mara Salvatrucha works closely with Los Zetas.
14. Barrio Azteca
The Barrio Azteca gang emerged from the El Paso prison in Texas in 1986. They quickly went from a street gang to a heavily armed paramilitary cartel that was able to provide serious competition to the Sinaloa Cartel. Their basic principles are ruthlessness, violence and terror, and their “business” specialization is drugs, murder and kidnapping.
The Barrio Azteca prison gang received armed support from the Juarez cartel, in return the gang helps control drug trafficking in Juarez. The gang reportedly has approximately 5,000 members, including those in prison in Mexico, as well as more than 3,000 prisoners in the United States. These guys are known for prison riots. The official color of this gang is turquoise. IN recent years gang members call themselves the "Omnipotent Aztec Nation." There is no central leadership in this gang, but despite this, the gang operates in more than thirty countries.
13. Hell's Angels
An organized crime group from the United States began as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, one of the world's largest motorcycle clubs, with its chapters (branches) around the world. According to the legend posted on the official website of the motorcycle club, during the Second World War the American Air Force had the 303rd heavy bomber squadron called “Hell’s Angels”. After the end of the war and the disbandment of the unit, the pilots were left without work. They had no choice but to go against their “cruel country, get on motorcycles, join motorcycle clubs and rebel.”
This is probably one of the most famous gangs on this list. The Hells Angels have grown significantly since their beginnings in 1948. Many members of this organized crime group claim that they joined the club solely for peaceful purposes - to help organize fundraisers, biker parties and other social events. But along with legal activities (salons selling motorcycles, motorcycle repair shops, selling goods with symbols), the Hells Angels are known for illegal activities. Law enforcement agencies in a number of countries call the club a “motorcycle gang” and accuse them of drug trafficking, racketeering, trafficking in stolen goods, violence, murder, etc.
Serious crimes, drug and human trafficking, extortion and other illegal activities have been associated with the gang throughout their long history. The head of the Australian chapter was even convicted of contract murder. But again, this does not change the fact that they also own many legitimate businesses, such as gyms and tattoo studios.
When police raided 30 properties in Spain owned by gang members, they found military-grade weapons and ammunition, kilos of cocaine, neo-Nazi literature, body armor and $200,000 in cash. And according to reports from Sweden, 12 chapters of this organized crime group (which include approximately 170 members) are responsible for 2,800 crimes in this country.
12. United Bamboo or Bamboo Union
The Taiwanese group United Bamboo, also known as Zhu Lien Bang, is part of the Chinese triad. They specialize in drugs, weapons, kidnapping and the illegal movement of people across borders. Unlike most other gangs, they were able to establish good relationship with foreign major criminal organizations, allowing United Bamboo to do its business overseas very successfully.
The Bamboo Gang has approximately 100,000 members, making it one of the largest gangs on this list. While most gangs do not have clear leaders, Yao Yao Huang Shao-Tsen has been the gang's official boss/ruler since 2007. The gang was not afraid to get its hands dirty in politics, including political assassinations (for example, journalist Henry Liu in 1984, he opposed the Kuomintang ruling Taiwan at the time). The assassins, both members of the Bamboo Union, were sent by the Taiwanese Military Intelligence Bureau.
The gang also came to public attention in 2013 when Chinese hitman Bai Xiao Ye was arrested and convicted of murder, kidnapping, extortion and conspiracy to commit murder. Bai was sent by the Bamboo Union to force one Li Wen Jun to repay a $10,000 debt, when he refused, Bai stabbed him 32 times. Prosecutors later concluded that Bai made his living by contract killings for the Bamboo Union.
11. Mungiki
This is one of the most aggressive sects in Kenya, which arose in 1985 in the settlements of the Kikuyu people in the central part of the country. The Kikuyu gathered their own militia in order to protect the Maasai lands from government militants who wanted to suppress the resistance of the rebellious tribe. The sect, in essence, was a street gang. Later, large detachments were formed in Nairobi, which engaged in racketeering of local transport companies transporting passengers around the city (taxi companies, car parks). They then switched to waste collection and disposal. Each slum resident was also obliged to pay representatives of the sect a certain amount in exchange for quiet life in your own shack.
10. Aryan Brotherhood
The Aryan Brotherhood appeared in California's San Quentin prison in 1964, immediately earning a reputation as the most dangerous gang in the United States. Members of the Aryan Brotherhood are easily recognized by their tattoos with Nazi and Satanic symbols. This is not an ordinary gang in the classical sense; it is more of a prison community, not dangerous to people on the outside. Members of this criminal organization kill a huge number of people in prisons. Only 0.1% of prisoners belong to the Aryan Brotherhood, which accounts for about 20% of all murders in US correctional institutions.
The gang was originally created in the 1960s to fight against the Black Guerrilla Family, a gang of blacks. Outside of prison, gang members waste no time in extortion, drug trafficking and murder for hire.
In 1974, Charles Manson was denied membership because, among his other victims, he killed a pregnant woman (Sharon Tate, wife of Roman Polanski). The high-profile trial of AB leaders in 2002, which was presented as the defeat of the group, nevertheless ended with the fact that the leaders of the group, Barry Mills and Tyler Bingham, who were accused of 32 murders, are still alive.
A spin-off gang, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, was formed in the 1980s and has about 30,000 members.
9. Almighty Vice Lord Nation
Wow the title! The AVLN gang originated in Chicago back in 1958, and they have approximately 35,000 members.
In the very beginning, the AVLN (then known as the Vice-Lords) committed robbery, theft, robbery, intimidation, extortion and violent attacks. They then tried to change their public image by renaming themselves the Conservative Vice Lords.
While they were doing something socially useful (creating recreation areas for children, for example), of course, their criminal activities continued. Small gangs began to join them, and eventually, everything became more significant. For example, business owners who did not pay for protection began to die en masse.
Willie Lloyd (pictured above), who at one point was the leader of the AVLN, quit drugs in 2001 after several arrests. You may not be shocked that he was assassinated three times, and successfully in 2003 - since then he has been paralyzed from the neck down.
Traditionally, the ALVN are allied with the Bloods gang (against the Crips).
8. Crips
The African-American gang Crips appeared on the streets of Los Angeles in 1969, compared to other thugs on our list, they look like pretty calm and nice guys. However, their numbers, stupid activity and excellent weapons make them one of the most dangerous gangs in the United States. The Crips are primarily involved in drugs, robbery, extortion and murder.
The gang was founded by 15-year-old Raymond Washington and his friend Stanley "Tookie" Williams. The Crips are predominantly African American. As of 2007, the Crips membership is estimated to be approximately 40,000. She is known for her confrontation with the Bloods alliance, whose numbers are smaller than the Crips. The distinctive sign of gang members is wearing bandanas and blue clothes, and sometimes carrying canes. In order to join a gang, a man must commit a crime in front of witnesses, and a girl must have a relationship with a senior member of the gang.
In 1971, gang members attacked elderly Japanese women, who then described the criminals as cripple, since all the attackers were wearing canes. Local newspapers wrote about this incident, and a new name was assigned to the gang - Crips. In 1979, Washington was shot and killed at age 26. The second founder of the gang, Stanley "Tookie" Williams, was arrested for the murder of four people and sentenced to death. While imprisoned for about 25 years, Williams was engaged in literary activities, in his works he convinced teenagers not to participate in criminal groups. Williams was nominated for the Nobel Prize nine times (five for peace and four for his literary works), was awarded the US Presidential Award, and a film about his life was made in Hollywood. Despite some public protests, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to grant his clemency, and Williams was executed on December 13, 2005.
Currently, the Crips gang is considered one of the largest in the United States. The gang in different times included rappers Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, MC Ren and others.
7. Bloods
The gang's identifying color is red. The Blood Alliance (Bloods Alliance) is an alliance of African-American street gangs in South Central (Compton, Inglewood), as well as the suburbs of Los Angeles, which was created to confront the Crips gang. Existing since 1972, this union was formed as a result of a meeting of gang leaders dissatisfied with attacks by the Crips. All the dissatisfied were gathered into a single “Family” by members of the Piru Street Boys gang - Sylvester Scott and Benson Owens. As more and more violence occurred between gangs, the Pirus were able to convince others to band together and form the Bloods.
Individual confederation groups of 3 or more members are called sets or trays. Although the coalition only includes African-American gangs, individual sets consist of Latinos, Asians and whites. Whites can also be found in the main gang.
While the Crips outnumbered them 3 to 1, the Bloods also became known for their extreme brutality; and by 1978 there were already 15 sets.
The confrontation between the Reds and the Blues became very famous and was shown in many films and comics. The plot of the South Park episode "Crazy Cripples" (2nd episode of the 7th season) is based on the conflict between the Crips and Bloods gangs.
9. Latin Kings
"Latin Kings" is considered one of the largest gangs in the world consisting of immigrants from Latin America. The group was born in the mid-60s in New York, Chicago and Detroit.
In the United States, the “kings” were, as a rule, young people from poor families who came from Puerto Rico and Mexico. The group has its own “Constitution” and “flag”, which depicts the flags of these two states and the symbols of the gang.
In recent years, more and more people from other Latin American countries have joined the ranks of the Latin Kings, and the gang members themselves began to call themselves the “Almighty Nation of Latin Kings,” or simply “the Nation.” Traditional colors - yellow and black, as well as a wreath of five arrows and a crown are already familiar to millions of people in different countries.
Books and films are dedicated to the activities of "Latin Kings". Despite the lack of central leadership, the gang operates in 34 countries around the world, and the total number of its members reaches 100 thousand people. There are 25 thousand “kings” in the USA alone.
5. Sinaloa Cartel / Sinaloa Cartel
The Sinaloa Cartel is the largest drug cartel in the world, whose leader, Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as El Chapo, has been declared public enemy number one. Moreover, at the same time he is considered one of the most influential people on the planet according to Forbes magazine, being between the editor-in-chief of The New York Times Jill Abramson and the Speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner.
Although Loera is now in prison, his cartel continues to successfully conduct its business, engaging in drug trafficking, and also not disdaining murders, kidnappings, extortion and pimping.
The Sinaloa Cartel has been in operation since 1989, with 500,000 members and extensive land and real estate ownership in Mexico and around the world, including 11 countries in Latin America(for example, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia), as well as countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Philippines and West Africa.
When they kill (and believe me, they kill often), they like to post the videos online as a warning to rival gangs. There are rumors that in exchange for permission to smuggle huge amounts of drugs into the United States, the Sinaloa cartel leaked information about its competitors to law enforcement agencies.
Recently, Jorge Martin Torres, one of the cartel's top money launderers, was sentenced to 44 months in prison. Torres was allegedly responsible for helping buy planes for El Chapo, and he received $300,000 in drug proceeds and also bought another plane for $890,000. In addition, Torres purchased Maserati, Mercedes, BMW, Lamborghini and other exotic cars for El Chapo and his brother Alfredo.
4. Los Zetas
The origins of Los Zetas in the 90s were former Mexican special forces soldiers, who were originally the mercenary army of the Golfo Cartel. In the early 2000s, they formed a separate criminal group, and in a very short time it became the most equipped and dangerous gang in Mexico. Their specialization is kidnapping, extortion, murder and drug trafficking. In August 2011, a gang burned down a casino in Mexico, where the fire killed 52 people.
The gang has more than 3,000 members in 22 Mexican states, as well as Guatemala and the United States.
Los Zetas don't just kill, they frequently post their videos online. In 2011, Mexican authorities recorded 193 cases of people being brutally tortured and killed by the Los Zetas gang. Women were sexually assaulted while men were tortured.
In 2011, they carried out the Ellendale massacre in Coahuila, where more than 300 civilians were killed. The gang was also involved in a prison riot in 2012: then 44 members of the 44 Gulf cartel, a rival gang, were killed, and 37 Seta members escaped from prison.
3. Triad 14K
14K (十四K) is one of the most numerous and influential triads in Hong Kong. According to one version, the name comes from the 14 members who stood at the origins of the organization; on the other - from the address of the headquarters in Canton; the third - from 14-karat gold. The Triad was created in 1945 in Guangzhou as an anti-communist organization. After civil war and the flight of the Kuomintang from China in 1949, the headquarters was moved from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, and the union included many military and civilians who had nothing to do with the secret societies themselves. Therefore, the name of the union had to be changed to “Association 14” (later shortened to “14K”).
In March 1975, in Amsterdam, three killers shot and killed the leader of the Dutch branch of “14K” Chun Mon, nicknamed “The Unicorn”. Chun Mon became the first Chinese crime boss in Europe and controlled large heroin supply lines.
In the 90s, 14K was considered the largest triad in the world. Fleeing police pressure, 14K went beyond Hong Kong and acquired strong positions in southeastern China, America and Europe, while at the same time going even further into the shadows. In 2008, members of 14K were involved in the kidnapping of a Chinese family for ransom in New Zealand.
As of 2010, “14K” had more than 20 thousand members in its ranks, united in thirty subgroups. The triad is most active in Hong Kong, Macau, China (Guangdong and Fujian), Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, USA (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago), Canada (Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary), Australia (Sydney) , New Zealand, Great Britain (London) and the Netherlands (Amsterdam). Compared to other triads, 14K is considered one of the most violent criminal groups in Hong Kong.
"14K" controls the wholesale supply channels of heroin and opium from Southeast Asia to China, North America and Europe. The triad is also involved in gambling, loan sharking, money laundering, arms and counterfeit goods trafficking, pimping, human trafficking (illegal immigration), racketeering, robbery, arson, contract killings, kidnapping for ransom and fraud.
2. Solntsevskaya Bratva
When it comes to crime syndicate families from Russia, the most influential is Solntesvkaya BRATVA. Founded back in the 1970s, they currently have not many members, around 5,000, but they are certainly making their presence known all over the world.
They have unpronounceable names, and by the time you finish the sentence, you may already be dead. They are capable of any crime imaginable. But they make most of their profits from heroin sales and human trafficking. They are also known to collaborate with Colombian drug cartels in the transportation of cocaine. Their income may also be linked to stock market gambling as well as credit card fraud.
Connections have been established between Semyon Mogilevich and the mafia. Mogilevich is known to the FBI as the most dangerous bandit in the whole world, involved in contract killings, extortion, arms trafficking, and also involved in drug trafficking at the international level.
In 2014, the Solntsevskaya organized crime group was noted as the gang with the highest incomes in the world - according to Forbes, their income is $ 8.5 billion.
1. Yakuza
The Yakuza are organized crime syndicates in Japan, similar to triads in other Asian countries. The social organization and work characteristics of the Yakuza are very different from other criminal groups: they even have their own office buildings, and their actions are often and completely openly written about in the press. One of the iconic images of the Yakuza is their intricate, colorful tattoos all over their bodies. The Yakuza use a traditional method of manually injecting ink under the skin, known as irezumi, as a form of proof of bravery as the method is quite painful.
Of course, this list would not be complete without them. The Yakuza dates back to the 17th century and currently has over 100,000 members. There are 3 main yakuza syndicates, the largest is the Yamaguchi-gumi family, with 55,000 members. Back in 2014, Forbes reported that their income was $6.6 billion.
The Yakuza is based on the values of the patriarchal family, the principles of unquestioning obedience to the boss and strict adherence to a set of rules (the mafia code), for violation of which inevitable punishment is provided. Stability and longevity for Yakuza clans are ensured by both specific connections between the boss and his subordinates, and the preservation of horizontal (“brotherly”) relationships between ordinary members of the group.
The Yakuza is closely woven into the economic and political life of Japan and has a number of distinctive features that are unique to it. Unlike other criminal organizations in the world, the yakuza does not have clearly defined territorial zones of influence, it does not rely on family ties as the structural basis of its organization and does not seek to keep its internal hierarchy, number or composition of leadership secret (most yakuza groups have their own official emblems do not hide the location of headquarters and the names of bosses; in addition, many of the groups are registered under the “roof” of various patriotic or far-right associations and associations).
In the 1950s, three main types of yakuza emerged - bakuto, tekiya and gurentai. Bakuto traditionally made money in the field of gambling and bookmaking, and also traded in pimping, fraud in trade, construction and the service sector. The Tekiyas were engaged in speculation, selling defective and counterfeit products at markets and fairs, and also extorting money from the owners of shops, nightclubs and restaurants. Gurentai operated primarily in places where entertainment establishments were concentrated, where they controlled prostitution, sold stimulants and pornography, not disdaining petty thefts, extorting debts and blackmailing rich clients of brothels (also Gurentai, despite the strict ban on firearms in occupied Japan, were the first to withdraw from traditional swords and began to use pistols to resolve conflicts). In addition, all categories of yakuza were actively recruited by the authorities to contain and suppress the leftist movement, trade unions, anti-war and anti-American demonstrations.
In March 2011, representatives of various yakuza syndicates (especially members of the Sumiyoshi-kai and Inagawa-kai) provided significant assistance to victims of the devastating earthquake that occurred near east coast Honshu Islands.
On every continent (they say the mafia already has a grudge against Antarctica with its oil reserves), in every country, even the most peaceful and seemingly safe, criminal groups operate. Small gangs operate under the guise of large syndicates and they are all incredibly cruel. But these guys can give everyone else a hundred points ahead - members of the groups presented below are literally bathing in the blood of their unfortunate victims.
Gangs are not always formed in metropolitan areas. Moreover, in the outback, criminal gangs are much more brutal. This fully applies to the Mungiki, Kenyan bandits who terrorize local communities. Even the ritual of joining a gang is extremely cruel: a newcomer needs to pour a canister of human blood on himself.
Primoro Commando Yes Capital
Primeiro Comando da Capital or PCC is considered the largest criminal organization in Brazil today. The group's main base is located in Sao Paulo. The worst thing is that it was this gang that corrupted the highest officials of the country, so they simply get away with any atrocities.
Los Zetas
Los Zetas is one of Mexico's most progressive, sophisticated, ruthless and dangerous cartels. This is because at one time the gang was formed from former special forces soldiers and quickly drowned all competitors in blood. Los Zetas use brutal tactics to combat rivals: murder of relatives, dismemberment and public executions.
14k Triad
This branch of the Chinese Triads operates over a large territory: the United States, Canada, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the distribution of prohibited substances, which is quite common for criminals, the group is involved in human trafficking.
Sinaloa Cartel
Another Mexican group, the Sinaloa cartel, has become famous for its brutality. It was this international gang that was once led by the famous El Chapo. Criminals were not afraid to confront the state; Sinaloa was responsible for several bombed city halls and countless kidnappings of relatives.
Yakuza
The Yakuza is perhaps the most popular gang in the world. Today the group has approximately 102,000 fighters around the world, and although the bosses themselves have long since replaced bright tattoos with prestigious suits, the essence of the gang’s activities remains the same. It is known that anyone who joins the Yakuza must sever all ties with his family - from that moment on he will be completely subordinate to the elders of the clan.
Aryan Brotherhood
The Aryan Brotherhood is one of the most violent and violent gangs in the United States. Even joining the group already begins with bloody showdowns: the gang operates within the walls of prisons and the adherent must kill another prisoner in order to obtain a “visa” to join the brotherhood. It's scary to think that absolutely all the members of this gang are real killers.
