Sure to entertain and inform. ''The Encyclopedia of International Organized Crime'' is the first comprehensive reference to organized crime in the global era and the world's most notorious crime syndicates. Whether their business is counterfeiting, prostituting, gambling, smuggling, extorting, or thieving, this book covers all the major criminal groups, their origins, their practices, and their place in the global underworld in more than 450 entries. Exposed here are Asian gangs such as the Yakuza, the Triads, and the Tong; the Jamaican Posse of the Caribbean; the drug cartels of South America; the Russian Mafia; and other powerful world criminal leaders. Not only is each of these groups a significant criminal power in its home territory, but many have also infiltrated the American underworld. This fascinating look at the world's most active international criminals will provide hours of informative reading for anyone interested in criminology and organized crime.