NCJ Number
125837
Date Published
1988
Length
73 pages
Annotation
Certain Asian criminal groups have evolved from street gangs into sophisticated criminal syndicates that rival the La Cosa Nostra (LCN) in violence, economic impact, and the diversity of their illegal activities.
Abstract
Approximately 200 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials were consulted leading to the conclusion that Chinese criminal organizations currently pose the most serious threat among all of the Asian criminal groups. The most developed Chinese organized crime (COC) groups are diversifying into a broad range of legitimate businesses. Cooperative ventures between the LCN and COC appear to be increasing, especially in heroin trafficking. COC groups depend heavily on fraudulently obtained immigration documents to sustain their membership and avoid detection by law enforcement authorities. The most sophisticated and dangerous COC groups today have evolved from street gangs during the past 10 years and are independent of Triads or Tongs. The vast majority of the 1.2 million Chinese in the United States are law-abiding persons who are among the victims of COC. Appendix.