Criminal gangs

Gangsterism

Nature

Criminal gangs are organized groups engaged in illegal activities such as drug trafficking, extortion, robbery, and violence. They often operate within specific territories and use intimidation or coercion to maintain control. As a social problem, criminal gangs contribute to increased crime rates, undermine public safety, and erode trust in law enforcement. Their activities can destabilize communities, hinder economic development, and perpetuate cycles of poverty and violence. Efforts to combat criminal gangs require coordinated law enforcement, community engagement, and social programs aimed at prevention and rehabilitation. Addressing this issue is essential for promoting safer, more resilient societies.

Incidence

In 1999 in Jamaica, troops were given emergency power to patrol the capital after the government had "declared" war on criminal gangs that were estimated to have killed 500 people in a six month period.

Claim

Bulgaria is known for its Olympic class wrestlers (claimed to be mass-produced by the old Soviet regime to personify the heavy-set virility of socialist labour in the world's sporting arenas). Following the collapse of the communist bloc, many wrestlers have become part of a new "thugocracy" – the Bulgarian word for "the wrestlers" (borsite) has now become the slang term for gangsters. Former state-paid secret policemen also work with the gangs, mostly as advisors.