The 10 Most Dangerous Crime Syndicates in the World

Yamaguchi-gumi

Japan’s organized crime stands in stark contrast to the normally subdued nature of their society. The yakuza, as organized criminals are known there, are willful outliers, marking their body with complex tattoos and rejecting the workaday world. The oldest and largest of the yakuza groups is the Yamaguchi-gumi, rumored to boast 55,000 members. Headquartered in Kobe, they have their fingers in all kinds of pies, from extortion to Internet pornography. The tight-knit yakuza structure keeps the people at the top insulated from any reprisals. And, of course, they’re not afraid to put a bullet into anybody that stands in their way, including government officials.