For many people, the Mafia is synonymous with organized crime, but due to the constant efforts of the government and law enforcement agencies for the past 30 years, the traditional American mob has suffered setbacks. This has created openings more than amply filled by a variety of other criminal organizations hailing from many countries around the world, and though the names and faces may change, many of the rackets remain the same. Sure to entertain and inform, The Encyclopedia of International Organized Crime is the first comprehensive reference to organized crime in the global era and the world's most notorious crime syndicates. Whether their business is counterfeiting, prostituting, gambling, smuggling, extorting, or thieving, this book covers all the major criminal groups, their origins, their practices, and their place in the global underworld in more than 450 entries. Explosed here are Asian gangs such as the Yakuza, the Triads, and the Tong; the Jamaican Posse of the Caribbean; the drug cartels of South America; the Russian Mafia; and other powerful world criminal leaders. Not only is each of these groups a significant criminal power in its home territory, but many have also significantly infiltrated the American underworld. This fascinating look at the world's most active international criminals will provide hours of enjoyment for anyone interested in criminology and organized crime.