Mafias, also known as organized crime groups, exist in many countries around the world. Broadly speaking, mafias are groups that operate illegally for monetary gain, often using violence and corruption. Some of the most well-known mafias originated in Italy, such as the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the Neapolitan Camorra. However, organized crime groups have spread far beyond Italy. Today, mafias are active across Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Some of the countries with the most prominent mafia presence include:
Italy
As mentioned, Italy is home to some of the most infamous mafia organizations. The Sicilian Cosa Nostra, Camorra from Naples, ‘Ndrangheta from Calabria, and Sacra Corona Unita from Puglia continue to operate today. These groups rose to power through activities like protection rackets, smuggling, and money laundering. They often have deep ties to politics and exert control over their territories. The Italian mafias remain powerful, even spreading influence abroad to countries like Canada and Australia.
United States
The United States has a long history of mafia activity. Major American mafia organizations include the Five Families of New York, the Chicago Outfit, the Philadelphia Mob, and others. These groups originated from Sicilian and Italian immigrants in the early 20th century. Their criminal activities include extortion, gambling, loan sharking, drug trafficking, and more. The American mafia held the most power from the 1920s-1950s during Prohibition. While their influence has declined, they still have an active presence today. Cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit continue to see mafia operations.
Russia
After the fall of the Soviet Union, organized crime flourished in Russia. Russian mafia groups grew to have international reach and billions in revenue. They were involved in various crimes like arms dealing, human trafficking, extortion, money laundering, and more. Some of the most influential Russian mafia organizations included Solntsevskaya Bratva, the Tambov gang, and the Orekhovskaya gang. While Russian President Vladimir Putin largely curbed the mafia’s power in the late 1990s-2000s, they still maintain a presence.
Japan
In Japan, the Yakuza has existed for centuries. Today, it continues to operate as a major organized crime entity in the country. The Yakuza is involved in activities like drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, gambling, and legitimate businesses. Unlike the hierarchical structure of Italian mafias, the Yakuza operates more like a federation of various gangs. There are thought to be over 30,000 Yakuza members spread across different clans. The largest is the Yamaguchi-gumi clan, which has over 11,500 members and makes billions in illicit revenue annually.
Mexico
Mexico is home to several powerful drug cartels with vast criminal operations. Los Zetas, Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Juarez Cartel, and Gulf Cartel are some of the most influential. From their beginnings in the 1990s, the Mexican cartels have become dominant in international drug trafficking, especially for cocaine. They also participate in kidnapping, arms trafficking, human smuggling, counterfeiting, and more. Through violence and corruption, cartels wield political influence in parts of Mexico. They pose a major threat to law, order and governance.
Colombia
As a major producer of cocaine, Colombia has contended with powerful cartels like the Medellin Cartel and Cali Cartel. These groups formed in the 1970s and attained great power through the drug trade. While their influence has lessened since the 1990s, organized crime is still a major issue in Colombia linked to the production and trafficking of cocaine. New cartels and paramilitary groups are active, continuing drug smuggling and crimes like extortion. Colombian organized crime often has ties abroad to Mexican and other Central American cartels.
China
In China, organized crime has existed since the 19th century in forms like the Triads. Today, the Triads continue to be active in criminal activities like drug trafficking, gambling, prostitution, extortion, and more. Major Triads include the 14K, Sun Yee On, and Wo Shing Wo triads based in Hong Kong and southern China. Many Triads have spread overseas to cities with Chinese populations, including Sydney, San Francisco, New York, and Vancouver. Chinese mafias typically operate through familial or ethnic ties.
Mafia Activities and Operations
Mafias around the world are engaged in a variety of illegal activities. Here are some of the most common:
Drug trafficking
International drug trafficking is one of the biggest mafia enterprises globally. Major mafias control the production, smuggling, and distribution of drugs like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and more. The illegal drug trade is worth hundreds of billions, and cartels in Mexico and Colombia in particular profit immensely from feeding drug demand in North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond.
Extortion and protection rackets
Mafias use extortion and protection rackets to extract payments from businesses and individuals. They threaten violence unless payments are made on a regular basis. Extortion can be in the form of ‘security payments’ targeting businesses, or coercing individuals directly. Failure to pay typically results in property damage, physical violence, or other consequences.
Human trafficking
Human trafficking for purposes like forced labor and sexual exploitation is a major criminal activity among mafias globally. Women, children, and migrant workers may be trafficked. Russian, Chinese, and Balkan mafias are involved in trafficking networks that span Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Cartels also participate in human smuggling through Central America and into the United States.
Arms trafficking
The illegal arms industry is another sphere where mafias operate. They smuggle and sell military-grade weapons, firearms, missiles, explosives, and other arms. Customer bases include terrorist groups, militias, armies, and states restricted by arms embargoes. Major arms trafficking networks exist in Eastern Europe, Russia, Central and South America.
Money laundering
To hide the proceeds of crime, mafias launder money through banks, businesses, real estate, gambling, and other methods. They funnel illegal revenue into legitimate fronts to disguise the illicit source. This money may originate from drug sales, corruption, weapons sales, human trafficking, and more criminal activities. Effective money laundering is vital for mafias to evade authorities and grow their financial power.
Counterfeiting
Mafias manufacture and sell counterfeit products – fake currency, luxury goods, medicines, electronics, and more. Counterfeiting offers high profits and low risks compared to drug trafficking and other activities. Major production centers exist in Russia, Asia, and Central America. The counterfeit trade both finances mafia operations and causes substantial economic losses to legitimate brands and governments.
Cybercrime
With the rise of the internet and online financial transactions, mafias have expanded into cybercrime. They carry out hacking, malware attacks, and online scams to steal data and money. Cyber expertise is developed through recruiting IT specialists or forming partnerships with existing hacker groups. Law enforcement has seen growing cases of mafia involvement in phishing schemes, credit card fraud, and identity theft.
Global Response and Prevention
Given the power, influence and threat posed by mafias globally, governments and international organizations are taking steps to combat their activity:
Law enforcement initiatives
Domestically, law enforcement agencies run anti-mafia and organized crime task forces. Police collaborate across regions and countries to share intelligence and apprehend mafia figures. Tech like wiretapping and surveillance is utilized. However, corruption of officials by mafias often hinders efforts.
Anti-money laundering regulations
Governments have regulations requiring banks and businesses to screen customers and report suspicious transactions. The goal is detecting dirty money flows from criminal activities like drug sales or corruption. However, mafias frequently exploit loopholes like front companies and offshore banking.
Seizure of assets
Authorities can seize property, vehicles and money linked to criminal activity. This targets the financial reserves and resources of mafia groups. But seizure efforts are hampered by complex networks of shell companies and proxies used to obscure ownership.
Witness protection
To encourage mafia informants, robust witness protection programs provide new identities and relocation for cooperating witnesses and their families. This aids prosecution of top mob leaders and dismantling of mafia hierarchies. But witness intimidation remains a barrier.
International partnerships
Partnerships like Interpol allow cooperative efforts between national police against global mafia networks in areas like drug trafficking and money laundering. Intelligence sharing and joint operations improve coordination. But jurisdictional issues persist between countries.
Anti-corruption
Corruption among government officials, law enforcement, politicians, and businesses enables mafias to operate. Anti-corruption campaigns, transparency initiatives, oversight, and accountability measures aim to reduce corruption systematically. But progress remains slow.
Conclusion
Mafias and organized crime groups continue to pose major threats worldwide. They show incredible adaptability to new opportunities like cybercrime and globalization. Combating sophisticated international mafia networks requires coordinated efforts across borders in intelligence sharing, anti-money laundering, prosecution, and reducing corruption. While progress has been made, mafias still hold power and influence in many regions globally. Their participation in lucrative illegal activities like drug and arms trafficking seems unlikely to abate any time soon. Going forward, law enforcement and governments face the challenge of staying agile in responding to mafia groups that aggressively evolve their activities over time and borders.
