Crime and Detection: Organized Crime

Organized crime is a global phenomenon. From Sicily came the Mafia; Japan spawned and then exported the Yakuza, as China did its Triads, and post-Soviet Russia saw the birth and rapid escalation of its very own Mafiya. These and other criminal fraternities differ from common criminal gangs in that they operate much like legitimate business corporations. They all have a definite hierarchical structure, with bosses, under-bosses, and workers. They are highly efficient and massively profitable. They are also deadly and potentially ruinous to the world's economy.