The Surprising Identity of the World's Wealthiest Criminal

In 2020, the Mexican government seized 1.1 billion dollars from the Jalisco cartel, while the Italian government seized 2 billion euros in bank deposits, 3,000 companies, and 12,000 properties from the mafia in 2015. However, the Italian government realized that managing the seized properties was more difficult than confiscating them because crime is a profitable and ruthless business. Criminal organizations are prevalent worldwide, and some are incredibly wealthy. Let's explore the ten richest criminal organizations globally.

The Taliban, founded in 1994, became a real problem in Afghanistan, attacking the government, winning and losing Afghan territory from the US, and imposing extremist ideals on the people. Women and girls suffered the most, as the Taliban blocked them from exercising their fundamental rights to expression, movement, and education, and their basic rights to life, livelihood, healthcare, food, and water. However, the Taliban's primary source of income comes from the production and trade of illegal substances, mainly opium and heroin, making Afghanistan the largest heroin grower and producer in the world. The Taliban's income also comes from the collection of ransom for hostages, donations, and pirate mining of natural resources. Forbes estimates the Taliban's net worth at a staggering 800 million dollars.

The Sinaloa cartel, one of the most influential drug organizations globally, controls 60% of revenue worldwide, with an estimated annual revenue of 3 billion dollars. Although the capture of El Chapo, the cartel's leader, resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions worth of merchandise and distribution routes, the cartel recovered well enough to remain at the top of the business pyramid. El Chapo's successor, El Mayo, is rumored to be worth billions, making it challenging to estimate the cartel's net worth. The official estimate of the Sinaloa cartel's net worth is 3 billion dollars.

The 'Ndrangheta, the second-largest mafia organization globally, control much of the transatlantic drug market distribution channel since Europe, and their net worth is estimated to be around 4.5 billion dollars. With a reputation as the ultimate peacemakers in conflicts, the 'Ndrangheta has been known to organize meetings between warring factions and with other criminal organizations. This quality led them to forge alliances with cartels in the 20th century and subsequently take control of Europe's drug scene.

The Camorra, known for their brutality, kidnapped, tortured, and burnt alive the former girlfriend of a rival in 2005. Despite the government crackdowns on this organization, their net worth is still estimated to be around 5.8 billion dollars.

These criminal organizations are incredibly wealthy and powerful, and their existence poses significant threats to global security.

Yamaguchigumi, also known as the Yakuza, is one of Japan's criminal organizations. While the Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest group, it is not only big but also organized, influential, and ruthless. This organization was founded by a notorious criminal named Harikichi Gamaguchi in 1915 and has been perpetrating violence for over a century. Yakuza's structure is similar to the American Mafia, where family-like relationships are bound together in complex hierarchies, and members give up their past life to adopt a new one. Members who violate Yakuza codes and ethics are required to chop off their fingers or ears in a ritual called yubitsumi, which reaffirms their loyalty. Yakuza is involved in resolving disputes that leave them richer, and they control the gambling and drug trafficking sector in Japan.

The Solntsevskaya Bratva or "Solntse," as it is called, is the Russian mafia, which was founded by Sergey Mikhaylov in the 1980s. Initially, it consisted of unemployed young men with aggressive tendencies, but it grew and became more organized, expanding its operations to territories that stretched from Russia to major parts of Europe, North America, and Africa. The group deals in every kind of criminal activity, including racketeering, extortion, illegal gambling, arms and human trafficking. Solntse's structure is highly decentralized, with semi-autonomous brigades operating independently, but they have a mutual respect for each other and unite forces when faced with threats beyond their capacity. They have been able to reinvest their ill-gotten gains into legitimate businesses such as casinos, financial institutions, and even an international airport in Russia called Renukovo airport. At the very top, Solntse is run by a 12-person council that convenes regularly to assess the organization. According to Forbes, the Solntsevskaya Bratva is worth around 8.5 billion dollars.

D Company is the Indian terrorist organization founded by Dawood, which has been a pain in the backside of the Indian state for over three decades. Dawood is blamed for several terrorist attacks and actively supporting ISIS. The organization also deals in an ungodly amount of heroin and opium, making at least 6.7 billion dollars annually. It is difficult to estimate D Company's true wealth because nobody knows how Dawood makes his money, and nobody knows where he is. Even after masterminding the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blast, neither the CIA nor the FBI has been able to locate him.

The Sicilian Mafia, also known as the Cosa Nostra, is a criminal organization beyond just a criminal organization. It is so powerful that many would literally kill to be members. The organization is infamous for its violence, extortion, and drug trafficking. In March 2014, a four-year-old boy was shot dead along with his mother and her boyfriend near Toronto, Canada, in a suspected mob hit. The event was so shocking that even Pope Francis spoke out against the Mafia.

the Chinese Triads reign supreme as the top of the criminal food chain. This organized criminal enterprise has been around for centuries, predating many other criminal groups on this list. Their illegal activities span a wide range, including racketeering, drug trafficking, and murder. Currently, their area of expertise is human trafficking, a practice they've been involved in for over a century.

Disbanding the Triad is a challenging task due to their decentralized structure, similar to the Russian mafia and the Kimora. Their extreme secrecy makes it difficult to uncover their operations, most of which remain a mystery to this day. Their criminal reach has expanded globally, spanning every continent and engaging in activities too horrific to mention.

It is estimated that this nefarious organization is worth 13 billion dollars. Their involvement in the disappearance of individuals is so frequent that it's highly likely they had a hand in it.