The clandestine world of gang warfare is a favorite for Hollywood movies. It is what earned The Godfather its popularity over the years; the narrative has been repeated numerous times.
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But did you know that such gangs exist? It seems like the social nature of human beings pushes people to amalgamate based on common interests. And people create gangs with rigid codes and brotherhoods that bind them for life. So, which are the biggest gangs in the world by population?
Gangs are a menace in the modern world. They create a profound limitation to a crime-free society considering their organized nature with hierarchies and allegiances that are hard to crack. And some of the most notorious have links past their borders, getting recruits in multiple countries.
It is still a wonder how they operate and stay afloat besides the apparent financing from illegal activities. So, what is the most dangerous gang with the highest population globally?
The 10 biggest gangs in the world by population as of 2022
Investors and entrepreneurs form organizations to maximize labor and expand their profits. But criminals create criminal enterprises, mainly as gangs, to further their objectives.
And these gangs, sometimes even referred to as brotherhoods, abide by solid values, and allegiance and respect is never compromised. That is why they have been growing and increasing over the years, and some have a massive population. According to Grunge, these are the biggest and most dangerous gangs in the world currently.
- Tambovskaya-Malyshevkaya (Russia)
The Grunge mentions Tambovskaya-Malyshevkaya as one of the largest mafias in the world, with an estimated membership of 600 people. But don’t let the number fool you. The secret organization has a massive influence and commands the allegiance of even more people. The gang is a merger of the Tambov Gang and the Malyshevkaya syndicate.
Where did the gang come from? According to Radio Free Europe, Tambovskaya-Malyshevkaya emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union. And in the early 1990s, they were the main guys, running virtually everything in St. Petersburg.
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Tambovskaya-Malyshevkaya has a massive list of illicit activities. Its members have been charged with murder, drug trafficking, extortion and other violent crimes. However, despite these crimes, they continue to run their affairs in Russia.
They have been in operation for a long time and seem invulnerable. The current leader of Russia rose to prominence in the 1990s, when the gang was creating its roots.
- The 14k Triad (Hong Kong)
The triad is a notorious Hong Kong gang that operates under certain traditions and rules, which its members must abide by. It has an estimated membership of over 20,000 members, making it one of the largest gangs in the world.
The gang has been accused of engaging in human trafficking, drug smuggling, extortion, and assassinations, among many other crimes. They have a broad reach and have members scattered in other parts of the world, and that is why the gang has such a massive membership.
Authors Frank Shanty and Patit Paban Mishra note that the Chinese gang was created in 1947 in mainland China. In the beginning, it was slated to be a military organization to assist Chiang Kai-Shek’s Nationalist Army during the Chinese Civil War.
And as is usual with the underworld, the 14k triad has waged bloody wars against rival gangs, set bombs, stabbed people and committed more crimes. Also, there are speculations that the gang is closely linked to the Chinese government. This comes from the fact that many of the attackers during the pro-democracy protest in 2019 were in the gang.
- Primeiro Comando Da Capital (Brazil)
Primeiro Comando Da Capital proved to be the most powerful gang in Brazil in 2006 when they executed coordinated attacks in the streets and prisons that lasted for days. They attacked buildings, buses and innocent bystanders. The gang has approximately 10,000 members, who submit around $223 a month as membership fees.
They weren’t always violent as they started as a prison soccer team. During this time, Brazil’s economy suffered, and in turn, the prison population rose significantly.
The Primeiro Comando Da Capital saw the considerable influx of inmates and started offering protection, and within no time, it had evolved to be the biggest in Brazil’s prison system. It was an innovative way of creating an alliance for organized crime as people affiliated with the gang never surrendered their allegiance. Hence, they continued being part of the illegal union when released from prison.
The criminal organization has a bad reputation for beating up people and even murdering some to get the membership fee of $230. The group doesn’t allow internal conflict to magnify. Whenever it happens, they murder the rebels and maintain a unified front.
- Crips (Los Angeles)
The Crips is a United States of America gang formed in Los Angeles in the 1960s or the 1970s. The organized group participates in illegal activities, including drug dealing, extortion, theft, and murder. Numerous online sources, including Trendrr, have mentioned the gang as being one of the most ruthless and biggest in the world.
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The Crips gang is dominated by African Americans and is associated with the colour blue. The group has been having a bitter rivalry with another group called the Bloods. Even though the group’s origins are disputed, many claim that Williams and Raymond Washington started in 1971 for protection from gang violence. In addition, some sources assert that the Black Panthers’ political group inspired Washington.
Today, the Crips operate in more than 40 states in the United States of America and has more than 20,000 members. But despite their expansion to other areas of the country, their stronghold remains to be Los Angeles.
- Mara Salvatrucha (California)
The Mara Salvatrucha gang is quite popular in America because politicians often mention it as a significant security threat. The gang has a poor reputation for using machetes to hack people to death and even executing people in broad daylight without a care in the world. They are also known to beat people to death with baseball bats.
The gang has approximately 70,000 members worldwide, and the number is growing. The MS-13 gang started in the 1980s from a wave of immigrants that fled El Salvador because of the civil war.
The primary aim of the organized group at the beginning was to protect the immigrants from other, more robust street gangs. However, the gang’s intentions altered over time, and they are known as one of the most violent in the 21st century.
- Latin Kings (Chicago)
The Latin Kings is one of the most dangerous gangs in the world. There are more than 43,000 members across the country, and the most bizarre thing about it is that it has male and female members.
The gang was formed in 1940 to preserve Hispanic culture and promote education in the United States of America. However, it became violent over time, committing various crimes, including theft of military ordnance, consorting with terrorist groups, and more.
- Aryan Brotherhood (California)
The Aryan Brotherhood also referred to as AB, is a neo-Naz* prison gang and organized crime syndicate based in California, the United States of America. According to various sources, the gang is estimated to have between 15,000 and 20,000 members. How did it start?
AB was founded in 1964 and has transformed into one of the world’s deadliest and most violent gangs. The gang’s motto is “Blood In, Blood Out”, which communicates their brutality.
- Los Zetas (Mexico)
Mexico is home to some of the deadliest gang wars because of the numerous illegal organized groups in the region. And one of the deadliest is Los Zetas.
Los Zetas was created in 1990 and has engaged in numerous ruthless acts ever since. Their criminal acts are so brutal and inhumane that they are always in the news headlines for something bizarre.
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They have become one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico and even have a good ranking globally. Los Zetas makes most of its income from drug trafficking and the rest from brutal extortion tactics. And if you don’t obey their requests, you might be one of their victims of beheadings, torture, slaughter, extortion, kidnapping, and more.
- La Eme (USA)
La Eme, popularly referred to as the Mexican Mafia, has a massive membership that would make other illegal organized gangs seem small. According to government officials, the gang has 400-500 official members with around 100,000 to 500,000 associates in different parts of the world hoping to become full members.
La Eme has also been referred to as a gang of gangs. It started in California to protect Hispanic men in the prison system. However, it evolved into a criminal organization with laid-out rules. For instance, gang members cannot be cowards or informants; they shouldn’t steal from others, and many more.
- The Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate (London)
The Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate, also known as the Adams Family, is the biggest gang in the UK. It was formed in the 1980s and is still operational to date, credited with having a wealth of up to £200 million.
Its membership remains a mystery, but the gang’s wealth makes it one of the most powerful in the world.
