Organized Crime is more than just a problem in the United States, It’s a global problem. In addition to the Italian and Latino groups that operate in the Americas, there are other significant organized crime groups operating from Japan, China, and Russia.

Organized Crime in Asia

Like other countries of the world, Japan has it’s share of organized crime groups. The most prominent of which is the Yamaguchi-gumi or Yakuza.

According to David Kaplan (1998), “The yakuza were largely local crime rings that controlled neighborhood card games and brothels. As Japan grew into the world’s second-largest economy, the yakuza, too, grew increasingly sophisticated and business minded. A handful of super syndicates expanded nationwide, gaining political access and influence over the entertainment and construction industries.”

The Yakuza are unique, in that they have adopted rules of conduct the preclude violence against police officers and innocent civilians. (Abadinsky, 2004). However, they are still a dangerous organized crime group that you would not want to cross.

The primary organized crime group in China is the “Triads”, in the U.S. They are known by the subsidiary group called the “Tongs”.

China has a history of having “secret societies” long into the history of the country. (Fong, 1981) The evolution of these secret societies grew into the modern day organized crime organizations. (Abadinsky, 2004)

The Triad group primarily operates from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau as they fled from China when the communist regime took over in the 1940’s.

The Tongs who are a division of The Triad, operate in the United States. Their base of operation is primarily in the major cities of New York, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco. (Abadinsky, 2004)

Organized Crime in Russia

Russian organized crime has greatly developed in recent history. The catalyst for this development was the fall of the communist regime in Russia and the former “Soviet Union”.

Russian organized crime is unique, in that the players are typically well educated, and the majority of which were not a part of street gangs in their youth. (Abadinsky, 2004) This is unlike most of the organized crime groups based out of the United States.

The major groups that comprise Russian Organized Crime or R.O.C. are, The Vory, The Russian Mafiya, and The “Chechens”. (Abadinsky, 2004)

Russian organized crime groups are particularly violent and are involved in a myriad of nefarious activities worldwide. R.O.C. groups have recently become a major problem in the United States.

Organized Crime in Mexico and Latin America

Organized Crime groups from Mexico and Latin America are focused on the drug trade. Much of cocaine (Coca) is grown in and manufactured in Columbia and Peru. Marijuana is grown in Mexico and the United States.

The major players in Mexican and Latin American O.C. Are the Medellin and Cali Cartels of Columbia and, The Amerzcuas, Herrera, Sinaola, Gulf, Juarez, Tijuana, and Sonora Cartels of Mexico. (Abadinsky, 2004)

The United States is the largest consumer of illegal cocaine and the geographic proximity and climate of Columbia, Peru, and Mexico have made Latino organized crime organizations prosperous.

Organized Crime and Labor Unions a U.S. Phenomenon?

As discussed, Organized crime in the United States has it’s similarities and differences to the other organized crime groups in the world.

One of the unique characteristics of organized crime in the United States is it’s relationship with labor unions. This is likely because the United States is unique because of it’s a robust industrialized country with capitalistic ideals.

The involvement of organized crime in labor was introduced because labor sought to gain equal footing with big business and needed additional power. Organized Crime groups had plenty of power and were amicable to a relationship.

We have seen that organized crime is indeed a global phenomenon. However, each organized crime group varies according to the traditions and culture of the country in which they operate. They do all share one thing in common, they are all a large problem for law enforcement.

References

Abadinsky, Howard. (2004). Organized Crime. Belmont, California: Thomson Wadsworth.

Kaplan, David. (1998). Yakuza, Inc. U.S. News and World Report. April 13.

Fong, Mak Lau. (1981). The Sociology of Secret Societies: A study of Chinese Secret Societies. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

APA Citation:
Smith, Nathan. M. (2006). Organized Crime Worldwide.
Retrieved September 8, 2008, from http://www.computer-forensic-technician.com/wordpress/organized-crime-worldwide/.