10 of the world's most notorious gangs

(Baonghean.vn) - These criminal gangs are notorious worldwide for their brutal methods of extermination and illegal activities such as robbery, murder, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.

1. Cosa Nostra - Italy

Cosa Nostra is a criminal organization founded in the latter half of the 19th century in Italy, quickly becoming a notorious and dangerous criminal organization worldwide after expanding its operations to the United States. Its activities include extortion, arms trafficking, and drug dealing. The gang has between 3,500 and 4,000 members. During initiation ceremonies, new members must kill someone to demonstrate their loyalty. Members of Cosa Nostra must adhere to a code of silence.

2. Crips - African American gangs

The Crips are an African American gang. Founded in Los Angeles, California in 1969, they were led by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams. The Crips are one of the largest and most dangerous street gangs in the United States, with a total of 30,000 to 35,000 members. They are known for robberies, murders, drug trafficking, and other criminal activities. A distinctive feature of the Crips is their members' habit of wearing navy blue clothing. The gang has a deep-seated conflict with the Bloods. The Crips also have members in other countries around the world.

3. Triads - Hong Kong

The Triad Society originated from high-ranking monks of the Shaolin Temple who were indebted to the imperial family and intended to "overthrow the Qing dynasty and restore the Ming dynasty," similar to the Heaven and Earth Society. The Triad Society gradually lost control, falling into the hands of various political factions and eventually drifting to Hong Kong. There, the Triad Society became the most notorious organized crime syndicate. It comprised numerous smaller gangs operating in a wide range of illegal activities: drug trafficking, prostitution, gambling, protection rackets, loan sharking, contract killings, and more.

4. Yakuza - Japan

The Yakuza is a highly powerful, nationalist organized crime syndicate in Japan. Its members come from all walks of life, from reckless thugs to executives of major corporations. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Yakuza became a tool of political factions, making their leaders, such as the Inagawa clan, incredibly powerful. The Yakuza has many strict rules, most notably the rule requiring complete obedience to superiors, as well as the gang's principle of protecting its members in case of any trouble outside the gang.

5. Bratva - Russia

The Bratva is a notorious Russian organized crime group, often known in English as the "Brotherhood." Its origins date back to the Tsarist era. During World War II, the Bratva had the opportunity to unite various separate gangs into a powerful organization, contributing to the concealment and support of the Soviet Red Army. During the Cold War, the Bratva was considered the government's "iron fist" for controlling the civilian population, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Bratva officially lost control and descended into organized crime. It is estimated that the Bratva comprises over 6,000 smaller groups operating throughout Russia and Eastern Europe; some branches have even spread to Western Europe, the United States, and China.

6. Wah Ching - A Chinese American

Wah Ching is a Chinese street gang founded in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1960s. Its members were young Hong Kong immigrants, hence the name Wah Ching. From a street gang, Wah Ching evolved into a transnational criminal organization. The Wah Ching criminal organization also has close ties to the Sun Yee On gang and the Triads in Hong Kong. Currently, the estimated number of Wah Ching members is around 3,000.

7. Los Zetas - Mexico

Los Zetas, also known as the "Black Legends," is a Mexican criminal organization specializing in long-distance drug trafficking, primarily targeting the US market and recently expanding into Italy with the help of an Italian mafia group. The organization is also involved in arms trafficking. With its enormous membership, the "Black Legends" have led to numerous political problems in this Central American country. In some respects, the Los Zetas gang wields significant political influence across 11 Mexican states.

8. Latin Kings - a Hispanic gang in the US

Founded in Chicago in the 1940s, the Latin Kings gang is closely knit, even possessing its own religion called "Kingism." The Latin Kings are considered the largest Hispanic street gang in the United States, with approximately 18,000 members. Notably, the Latin Kings also recruit female members as a separate branch called the Latin Queens.

9. Aryan Brotherhood (AB) - USA

This gang was founded by some of the most dangerous gangsters, imprisoned with life sentences or the death penalty. AB became a terrifying name in every American prison, boasting 20,000 notorious members, both incarcerated and ex-convicts. AB established a contract killing service, providing protection and supplying anything prisoners demanded, provided they were paid in full. The condition for joining AB was to commit a murder within a prison as requested.

10. MS13 - USA

The Mara Salvatrucha gang, abbreviated as MS-13, was founded in 1980 and quickly expanded its operations from Los Angeles to Central American countries. Not only notorious for its tattoo culture and brutal ritual killings, MS-13 is also known for its drug trafficking, human trafficking, and smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States. MS-13 is the most dangerous gang the FBI fears most in the US.

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