http://fortune.com/2014/09/14/biggest-organized-crime-groups-in-the-world/

I always thought it was the italians and Russians who were ahead of the pack but I guess I was wrong. If this article is accurate, then the yakuza is by far ahead of everybody. And it's not even close. Doesn't look like it'll be close anytime soon either. Assuming that this article is accurate like I said.

That number have to be unreal.

In Japan, Yakuza is not prosecuted like an organized crime group nor are there Rico like statutes in Japan. They are considered a legitimate organization and have there hand in more legitimate activity than criminal although how they get that wealth is much akin to how the Mafia in Sicily operates.

Wonder where they come up with these numbers, probably just pure guesswork.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing about it just being a made up number but I really don't know.

I know they made a killing when they supposedly owned PRIDE, the biggest (other than UFC) MMA organization then. There was numerous talk of them fixing fights, etc.

The mark coleman fight against a japanese fighter was fixed i remember watching that and the commetators realised what was going on it was funny

Yakuza is legally allowed in japan so that you can imagine their activities.
I read that only 30% of the income of yakuza comes from illegal businusses though i dont know its true or not.
But they do operate lots of companies and other businusses in Japan, so i believe they are making a large amount of money. But i dont think the number is realistic just as people on this board said, its only a made up number from Fortune.
Hongkong police department announced that the largest triads group Sun Yi An is making only 10 millions of yuan a year. I think this number is more realistic to an Asian OC group, people around my city only involve in some street type crime activities and , of course a lot of fight on street. I think yakuza is the top dog of Asian crime society, or at least they are the best money earners.

How do the Chinese and the Japanese get along these days?

PB. It is my understanding that they don't get along. I have great friend who was recently stationed in both S. Korea and Japan and traveled a bunch. He says that the Japanese are treated with open hostility in Korea and China because of what they did during the Empire. i don't know how the OC groups get along.

Yakuza get paid to be advisors to large Japanese corporations.

I would think that they don't get along because I think China is more aligned with North Korea while Japan is more aligned with South Korea. But I'm no expert so I could be wrong. But would you guys all agree that the yakuza is the most powerful and richest organized crime organization in the world like the article is suggesting?

Keep mind the Yakuza are HUGE

It is just a number they put out there. The Yakuza is big in Japan, and were big on the west coast of the US, still powerful, but the Chinese, mainly Tongs are powerful on the west coast, by passing the Triads. The Yakuza is known to bring in those not of Japanese decent into their ranks. Already been pointed out that, the Yakuza are used as consultants to big time corporations in Japan.

i read article that claims italian mafias made 200 billions, otherarticles claims it made 100 billions but these numbers are insane, same for yakuza

Same here,you can't really know.

I dont think any criminal or organized group makes more than 5 billion per year. All these seizures and estimates for some crime groups are exaggerated beyond imagination and outdated/mislead or misinformation. I remember people citing the cartels asin they made 60 billion dolllars per year but these so called journalists were citing how much money worth of drugs they were pushing up North or the U.S. But in reality the cartels make about 7 billion per year combined, Sinaloa alone taking about 60% of the share. The same can be said about the Italian mobs and Japanese Tongs. As all these groups run or mainly use drug profits to keep the organization from running out of fuel. Lets all face it, all transnational crime groups depend on drugs to keep their operations going and is a huge percentage of.their profits.

Edit:Also many of the law enforcement information outside the U.S that is not connected/cooperates with U.S law enforcement have misleading or misteanslated information about their donestic crime groups. I think $80 billion figure for the Japanese Tongs is a rough estimate on how much has the groups made since conception. Not a yearly profit.

I can believe 200 billion revenues for groups heavy into drugs. That is not the same as profits though.

Never get alone well since 1895......

Japanese have no Tang....