Organized crime

Organized Crime

Organized crime (pronunciation: /ɔːrɡənaɪzd kraɪm/) refers to a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals who intend to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit.

Etymology

The term "organized crime" is derived from the concept of a criminal organization, which refers to a group of individuals who collaborate on a continuing basis to commit crimes. The term was first used in the 19th century and has since been used to describe various criminal organizations, including the Mafia, Yakuza, and Triads.

Related Terms

Mafia: A type of organized crime syndicate whose primary activities are protection racketeering, arbitrating disputes between criminals, and brokering and enforcing illegal agreements and transactions.
Yakuza: A Japanese criminal organization that participates in a variety of criminal activities.
Triads: Chinese transnational organized crime organizations based in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and also in countries with significant Chinese populations.
Racketeering: The act of operating an illegal business or scheme in order to make a profit, perpetrated by a structured group.
Transnational crime: Crimes that have actual or potential effect across national borders and crimes that are intrastate but offend fundamental values of the international community.