This article profiles organized crime groups in various parts of the world, including their names, organizational structure, and criminal activities; similarities and their international character are noted.
The author describes Mafia-type criminal organizations throughout the world, identifying the names, organization, and criminal activities of such enterprises in Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Africa. All of the identified organized crime groups have common characteristics. The most highly structured ones are based on an enterprise-like organization that corresponds to a basic organizational chart that is valid for any sort of business. Organized crime groups can survive only if they manage that chart in such a manner as to ensure strong discipline and absolute secrecy. These groups are obsessed with profit by every means, using terror and corruption to achieve their goals. They conduct not only criminal activities but licit businesses, infiltrating and controlling economic sectors. They attempt to influence and corrupt legitimate economic and political power at all levels, thus posing a threat to democracy by perverting economics and politics for their own ends. The enormous amount of money they obtain from both their illicit and licit activities make them an actual and potential threat not only in individual nations but internationally. Common criminal activities are in three categories: (1) racketeering, extortion, kidnapping, coercive protection, and debt-collecting; (2) illicit service provision, consisting of freely and expensively providing anything usually prohibited, regulated, or taxed by law (drugs, smuggling, gambling, usury, prostitution, pornography, migrants, and manpower); (3) and financial crime, counterfeiting, fraud, and computer crime. 5 figures