In the USA alone, 34 billion dollars are secured every year from the sale of cocaine. But what are the biggest criminal groups in the world and where do they get their money from? The income of organized crime groups is difficult to estimate as they constantly spend large sums to hide wealth. Here are the 10 biggest bands in the world.

1- Italian "COSA NOSTRA".

It was founded at the beginning of the 16th century in Sicily, however, the birth of this organization is attributed to the years of the Second World War, when the Americans helped the revival of the mafia in Sicily.

The historical leaders of the Sicilian "Cosa Nostra" have been Vito Kashio Ferro, Kaloxhero Vicini, Mikele Navarra, Luciano Lixhio, Mikele Greko, Gaetano Badalamenti, Stefano Bontade, Salvatore Riina, Bendeto Santapaola, Bernardo Provenzano.

2- American "COSA NOSTRA".

It was founded at the beginning of the last century and got rich in the first two decades. It was born for two reasons: the emigration to the USA of a large number of Italians among whom there were those who were involved in crimes, and because many Mafiosi from Sicily to escape the law in Italy were forced to go to the USA . There are 5 families in America that had close contacts with the leaders in Italy: the Bonano, Lukese, Colombo, Genovese and Gambino families, where the last two receive the largest share of the profits. her stature was indisputable. Each of the 5 families of New York built their empire by dealing with illegal activities such as blackmail, money laundering, murder, narcotics, gambling, robbery, waste management, etc.

3- "Ndrangheta"

This organization has its headquarters in Calabria. It consists of 144 organizations with 5600 members. It realizes its control in the Calabrian territory thanks to mafia connections called "Ndrine". There is an obvious horizontal structure, there are close links between different groups, but there is no regional or provincial leadership centre.

The mafia organization Ndrageta (Ndrangheta) has long eclipsed its more famous neighbor the Sicilian Cosa Nostra.

In this way, the Italian crime syndicate has become one of the largest mafia organizations in the world. Its profits from importing cocaine and other businesses are estimated at tens of billions of dollars a year.

Unlike Cosa Nostra, it is less exposed to politicians and secret services.

4- "Camorra"

While the Italian-American mafia has been weakened in recent decades by the tightening of the law, the Italian mafia in its country of origin continues to remain strong. Despite several years of efforts by citizens, journalists and government officials, local governments in Italy remain linked to mafia groups. According to a Catholic University study, it is estimated that mafia activity generates 33 billion dollars in revenue, most of which is shared between the four largest mafia groups in Italy. The Camorra is the most successful, with an estimated $4.9 billion in annual income from sexual exploitation, firearms trafficking, drugs, counterfeiting, gambling and extortion. Based in Naples, the group has been active since the 19th century, when it was originally formed by a prison gang.

This organization was founded in the middle of the XVI century in Naples. The word "Camorra" once had the meaning of a tax paid by the owners of the premises to ensure protection. These records belong to the Kingdom of Naples and date back to 1735. "La Camorra" currently operates in 111 countries (including cities and provinces). Its structure is similar to that of "Cosa Nostra", where each family owns a certain area.

5- "Yakutsa" (Yakuza)

Each mafia gang in Japan is called "Yakutsa", but it is led by different leaders. In its tradition, very old rituals stand out, like long before the 90s. The rite of Sakazukishiki is the initiation ceremony of each new member, who swears loyalty and piety by drinking sake from the headman's cup. The Irezumi rite or tattoo, which is different for each gang, proves the affiliation of the gang members.

With more than 10 members, they deal in drug, arms, gambling, robbery and prostitution.

What impresses you most about the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, is that the capos and many of its members roam free. This criminal group, one of the most feared and richest in the world, is unique: it invests in both illegal and legal activities.

The origins of the Yakuza are a little unclear. According to legend, it was formed by a group of Ronin, samurai without a master, who offered protection to villages from bandits.

6- Solntsevskaya Bratva (Russian Mafia)

Russian mafia groups unlike Yakuza have a different structure according to Frederico Vares, professor of criminology at the University of Oxford and expert on international criminal groups.

The concept "Russian Mafia" describes a series of criminal gangs, or criminal fraternities. The largest of them is located in Solntsevo district in the southern districts of Moscow.

The group is known to have connections with Semyon Mogilevich, the most powerful criminal in Europe, perhaps even in the world.

Solntsevskaya Bratva is a decentralized group and the group is composed of 10 quasi-autonomous "brigades" and operate independently of each other. The group's income is overseen by a 12-person council that "meets regularly in different parts of the world." The group is estimated to have around 9 thousand members and their bread and cheese is drugs and human trafficking. This Russian group is involved in the trafficking of heroin originating from Afghanistan.

7- "TRIAD"

In Albanian it means three, it is the most powerful mafia organization for drug trafficking. The Chinese "Triad" has been taken as an example of competition for the Russian-Asian mafia. Members of this organization have installed operational bases for heroin trafficking in Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. The beginnings of this organization can be said to be the oldest compared to all other mafias, they date back to 1760. It is very similar in rites to the Japanese Yakuza and the Italian Cosa Nostra.

8- Turkish mafia

It has been called a very powerful criminal organization. The Turkish mafia has controlled a large part of the world's heroin traffic. The Turkish mafia has collaborated with the Russian mafia several times, and a little with the Italian mafia. Like its sister organizations, the Turkish mafia operated mostly in the trafficking of narcotics, but also of "white meat", as it is known in the language of the mafia.

9- "Sacra Corona Unita"

It is not the only mafia organization in Puglia, Italy, but without a doubt it is the most important and the largest. It has its headquarters in Apulia. Its beginnings were in the 80s and today it is the most powerful organization. It consists of 7 organizations and 47 families and about 1755 members, mainly in the province of Brindisi, Lecce and Toronto. It is a new organization compared to previous mafia organizations.

10- The Sinaloa Cartel

The Sinaloa cartel is considered the most powerful drug organization in Latin America, and its bloody wars are believed to be responsible for the murder of more than 10 people from 2008-2012, earning the city the title of "murder capital of the world". ", reports Tiranaobserver.

Under Guzman's leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world's best-organized international corporations, with annual revenues of $3 billion, is responsible for 25% of illegal drugs entering the United States from Mexico. These numbers are not expected to change now that Guzman is behind bars.

From the WorldTHE WORLD