Top 10 Richest Criminal Organizations in the World

Welcome to SSEGU, the place where people come to get informed and educated about the world. Today, we're diving into the world of organized crime and identifying the most financially successful criminal organizations.

Organized crime has been around for centuries, but modern criminal groups became more prevalent in the 1970s with the rise of the mob, mafia, and other criminal organizations. These groups range from the Russian mafia to the Mexican drug cartels to American street gangs. Just about every country has some kind of crime syndicate that can be defined as organized crime. The United States Organized Crime Control Act identifies organized crime as the unlawful activities of a highly organized or disciplined association. Most of these organizations make money from drugs, financial crimes, violence, cybercrime, and human trafficking.

In making this list, we looked at the available information about the financial statuses of some of the most successful crime organizations in the world, including reported numbers, estimated amounts of drug sales, seizures of values, and other factors. Many of these numbers are at best estimates of a group's net worth because these organizations aren't exactly forthcoming about their finances.

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10. Knights Templar Cartel - $13 Million

Servando Martinez was the leader of the Knights Templar cartel before he became the founding member of the La Familia Michoacana cartel. This cartel makes its millions by exporting and trafficking methamphetamines and marijuana across the United States border. Martinez avoided the authorities for decades, allowing the cartel to become one of the deadliest and most dangerous. In 2014, an estimated $14 million in properties alone were seized from the cartel.

9. Los Zetas - $8.75 Billion

Los Zetas were responsible for thousands of deaths during violent drug and turf wars. The leader of Los Zetas was once dubbed the most sadistic drug capo in all of Mexico. Under his command, the Zetas were engaged in turf wars with the most powerful cartels in Mexico’s history. Most of the cartel members chose to live a lifestyle out of the limelight, drawing less attention to themselves to carry out their activities.

8. Tijuana Cartel - $9.5 Billion

Throughout the 90s and 2000s, the Tijuana cartel was Mexico's most powerful cartel. However, after the arrests of the leaders and attacks by other prolific cartels, the cartel weakened. This cartel was once believed to be the most dangerous, with a reputation for extreme violence and ruthless tactics.

7. Gulf Cartel - $9.9 Billion

The Gulf Cartel is one of the oldest criminal groups in Mexico. They traffic drugs throughout the United States and even into Europe. Known for extreme violence, the Gulf Cartel is involved in high-profile assassinations and worldwide kidnappings. Despite the imprisonment of several kingpins, their smuggling routes remain intact and active.

6. Medellin Cartel - $14.3 Billion

The Medellin cartel, led by the infamous Pablo Escobar, is one of the most prolific and brutal in history. At its peak, the cartel controlled 80% of the cocaine industry. Escobar's empire was built on extreme violence and innovative smuggling techniques, including using submarines.

5. The Triad - $16.9 Billion

The Triad, mainly located out of Hong Kong, has factions worldwide. Their criminal activities include drug running, racketeering, and human trafficking. The Triad operates with a unique structure that allows lower members more freedom, providing higher-ranking members with deniability.

4. Russian Mafia - $19 Billion

The Russian mafia consists of 6,000 different subgroups, with over three million members. Their illegal activities range from street-level crimes to high-level political corruption. The top dogs in these groups live lavish lifestyles, often with connections to high-ranking government officials.

3. Yakuza - $23 Billion

The Yakuza, a collection of Japanese gangs or families, is known for its specific tattoos and missing fingers. They work openly with politicians and law enforcement, operating from a main office. Their activities include drug running, racketeering, and prostitution, and their membership reaches an impressive 80,000.

2. Sinaloa Cartel - $18 to $39 Billion

The Sinaloa cartel, led by the notorious El Chapo, is one of the most infamous in the world. Known for their extensive drug trafficking operations, they are believed to be one of the biggest suppliers of illegal narcotics to the United States. Their main focus is the city of Chicago, where they have secured major highways for drug running.

1. Camorra - $167 Billion

The Camorra is the richest crime syndicate in the world, primarily based in Italy. Originating from the 17th century, the Camorra controls major industries such as milk, fish, and coffee. Their illegal activities range from extortion to murder, and they have over 6,800 members across 112 clans.

That's it for today, folks! The ten richest criminal organizations in the world continue to operate, although some are slowly declining due to internal conflicts. Now that you've learned about these organizations, we'd like to know: what kind of life would you lead if you were a member of one of these criminal organizations?

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