British firms (organised crime)

British crime firms
Founded 19th century
Founding location United Kingdom
Territory United Kingdom
Ethnicity English, Scottish, Irish, Turkish Cypriot, Black British, Welsh
Criminal activities Racketeering, prostitution, bookmaking, drug trafficking, loan sharking, extortion, counterfeiting, assault, gambling, robbery, bribery, contract killing, assault, gambling, arms trafficking and smuggling
Allies Turkish mafia, Milieu, Penose, Jamaican posse, Irish Republican Army

British firms is a name designated to describe organised crime groups originating in the United Kingdom.[1]

Organized crime in the United Kingdom

In analogy with the Penose in the Netherlands and the Milieu in France, the United Kingdom has traditionally been governed by homegrown organised criminal groups involved in a multitude of illegitimate businesses.[2] The UK being a multi-ethnic society, criminal enterprises come from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds finding their origin in the UK, the most dominant of them still being the White British groups.[3]

Outside of the indigenous British crime firms, foreign criminal gangs such as the Albanian mafia, Triads, Russian mafia, Yardies, Pakistani mafia, Indian mafia as well as Sri Lankan Tamil and Vietnamese organised crime groups operate in parts of the United Kingdom.[4] Those criminal organisations are not described as being British crime groups since their organisation itself or their main connections originated in a foreign country.

The whole of the UK is said to host some 7,500 different organised criminal groups that cost the country £100 million a day.[5]

British crime firms

English and Scottish crime groups, as well as English crime groups of Irish and Turkish Cypriot (like Arif family) descent find their origin in tough, impoverished white working class neighbourhoods. They are largely family-run organised criminal gangs involved in many illegal activities in their respective areas. Even with the influx of foreign gangsters as well as with the rise of homegrown gangs consisting of minorities, white British groups are still the major concern for law enforcement and are active in the major British urban centres.[6] Indigenous criminal organisations are mostly centred around local extended criminal families.

London crime families

London's crime families were traditionally centred in the East End of London (the infamous Kray twins being the most notable).[7] Due to the restructuring of the East End, and the influx of migrants to the area, traditional Cockney families have moved to South London, parts of North London (mainly Islington), and the counties surrounding London (such as Essex and Kent). Working-class neighbourhoods are often still home to family-based crime groups involved in drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, armed robbery, contract killing, money laundering, counterfeiting and kidnapping.[8] Some of the more notorious South London crime families include the 'Brindles' and the 'Walkers',[9] while the Arifs are the most notorious crime family from London's south-eastern neighbourhoods. Another well-known London crime family is the Clerkenwell crime syndicate in Islington, also known as the 'Adams family'.

London's working-class crime families are not necessarily of Cockney (or even English) descent, as other ethnicities including Irish and Turkish Cypriots have historically settled in the same East London districts (in addition to parts of northeast and southeast London). Some of the more powerful crime families, such as the 'Brindles', are of English descent, while others such as the 'Adams' are of very distant Irish heritage. The 'Arifs', meanwhile, are of Turkish Cypriot descent.

London's crime families are more territorial, but can be internationally active in money laundering as well as drug trafficking, cocaine and ecstasy in particular.

Liverpudlian mafia

The Liverpudlian mafia is a colloquial term used to describe drug trafficking cartels based in the city of Liverpool. In contrast to London's crime families they are less territorial and more internationally active. The trafficking of cocaine and heroin to the British mainland as well as to countries like Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands is the main source of income for Scouse crime groups. Weapon trafficking and contract killing are activities of choice as well. Liverpudlian crime groups have forged close links with Irish criminal syndicates, as well as the Real IRA.[10] Curtis Warren's group,the Whitney gang and Toxteth gang run by a dealer name Tiaj are examples of well-known Scouse criminal outfits.

The Liverpool gangs tend to be more entrepreneurial instead of territorial, where different factions will often choose to work together in several criminal activities, but will also come into conflict with each other when it comes to more localised control over organised crime.[11] While the Liverpool mafia used to refer to the White British crime families active in the city, it has grown to include the several powerful gangs active in the Liverpudlian Black community of Toxteth. When a strategic alliance was made between several white crime families and a number of Toxteth-based gangs dubbed the Black Caucus, a number of black gangs, including one headed by Curtis Warren, grew into power and moved up from street-level crime towards the organised criminal activities the white gangs were active in.[12]

Glasgow crime families

In analogy with London the city of Glasgow has been home to Scottish crime families involved in drug trafficking, weapon trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, scrap dealing and murder. The syndicates of Arthur Thompson or Thomas McGraw are prime examples of Glasgow crime clans. Glasgow's crime families are often involved in violent feuds, as with the vendetta between the Daniel clan and the Lyons clan.[13]

Other examples

White British crime families operate in many other cities in the United Kingdom as well, other known centres being Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham and Manchester. Firms outside of the more well-known London, Liverpool and Glasgow areas include the Noonans of Manchester or the Sayers in Newcastle.[14]

Black British street gangs, such as the Tottenham Mandem and the Cheetham Hillbillies are generally not described as being part of the traditional British crime firms, which is more associated with the White British crime families from the working class districts. Black British street gangs are nevertheless an active part of the British underworld and may have connections to the White firms, the Adams crime family as an example.[15] The Black street gangs however often have stronger connections as well with their countries of origin, such as Jamaica and Nigeria.

The same can be said for the British Asian gangs that, although being an integral part of UK's underworld, have stronger ties to their ancestral regions such as the Mirpur District in Pakistan, the Punjab region of India and Sri Lanka.

Organized crime groups based in the United Kingdom

References

  1. ↑ John Lea. "traditional organized crime in Britain". Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  2. ↑ John Lea. "traditional organized crime in Britain". Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Organised crime: Farewell to the heist - The Economist". The Economist. 2013-08-10. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Amanda Williams (2013-10-06). "A quarter of organised crime gangs are run by overseas thugs, new figures reveal as Theresa May promises to deport foreign suspects | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  5. ↑ Whitehead, Tom (2013-01-25). "Police battling 7,500 crime gangs that cost the country £100 million a day". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  6. ↑ "traditional organized crime in Britain". Bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. 2003-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  7. ↑ "Kray Brothers". Historybytheyard.co.uk. 1966-12-23. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  8. ↑ Tony Thompson, Crime Correspondent;- ''"Some of the older established and well connected families, according to various law enforcement sources are still active or subject to some occasional official scrutiny today. Many of these Families - formerly controlling nearly all of the Docks & Wharves along both sides of the Thames and throughout the Port of London - all the way into Essex and the Home Counties, from the East End, North, West and South London Clans such as the Dixons, Fraser's, Richardson's and Nash's have been dwarfed by the alleged and widely reported growth in Wealth, Power and Physical numbers - the use of violence - much stemming from many reported favours, strategic alliances or paid services rendered to other Crime Syndicates - now commanding an almost unchallenged respect from all quarters of the Underworld and increasing attention from the Authorities of some members of the Hunt Family from Custom House and Canning Town.The subsequent much wider influence over a wide range of enterpises and businesses stretches well beyond their roots in the docks at Beckton and along the A13 just east of Canary Wharf. The Blundells, now part of the Essex Set and well along the path of Business and some distance from their more raw beginning's, originally from the tough Docklands of East London; are still widely connected. Notably, the Marks and Judd Families - also from Stepney, Wapping and Islington - believed for years to be heavily involved in Organised Crime, with access, links and ties; stretching back for decades - with some of the most successful Crime Bosses and Families in the UK; and reportedly as far afield as the United States and Europe are allegedly very much a part of the New and much more lucrative areas accessible to them from modern high tech advances and the subsequent manipulation of these systems to generate huge profits - a shot rarely fired these days and a more complex mixture of respectable and sometimes more dubious business ventures increasingly harder to penetrate by the use of criminal informants and super grasses. As recent as the late 1980's to 1990's - some Members of The Marks and Judd Families, it's Associates and trusted Family Friends; were involved predominately in Armed Robberies of High Security Vehicles and Cash Handling Premises, High Value Lorry and Cargo Hi-Jacking- ({Case Reference :- Regina v. Philip Marks & Others. including multiple indictments for Conspiracy to Rob, Discharging Firearms with intent to Endanger Life and other related firearms and vehicle theft charges associated with alleged robberies and hijackings of Cash in Transit Vehicles and Cash Handling Premises.)} Philip Marks (the youngest Son of Murdered Mobster Tommy Ginger Marks); at the ripe old age of 21 years old was subsequently convicted in 1986 for his role described by the Crown's Prosecution and later by Judge Robert Lymbery QC in his sentencing remarks - as the "Leader and the Prime Mover" of an extremely violent, well armed and highly sophisticated gang of Armed Robbers - Marks it was alleged, by Counsel for the Crown Prosecution at the Old Bailey, London: plotted Security Van and Cash in Transit movements with amazing accuracy - often defeating or losing a full scale surveillance of him and his co-conspirator's during Operation "Sack" conducted by the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad and SO11 – Criminal Intelligence Branch (later renamed to Public Order Operational Command Unit) According to one well placed law enforcement source - now retired; Marks and his Associates were believed to have netted over £3 Million in a 3 year period - In 1986 Marks was later sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to 12 years - his co-defendents receiving much lower jail terms for their roles - Bold text' Terry Marks (notorious Armed Robber and younger Brother of Tommy Ginger Marks) - also allegedly involved in Armed Robberies, Major Drug Importation and Laundering of Cash. Reported Links to the Adams Crime Family in North London, The Turkish Cypriot Arif Family - allegedly involved in every level of Drug Importation and Distribution, linked to Gangland Murders, Armed Robbery and Extortion in South East London and many of the oldest crime families across the UK. Retired Police sources say that Freddie Foreman later apologised to a Marks Family member - after an earlier admission (advised by Publishers Solicitor's he could not be re-charged with this Murder under the "Double Jeapardy statute - legal protection then relating to Murder Trials and acquitted defendents") on TV and in his autobiography to the Murder and Dissapearance of Ginger Marks in 1965 (Foreman and 3 other men acquitted in 1975 at the Old Bailey of these charges - after Judge at Old Bailey Trial halted proceedings and released the Defendents - informing the Jury that he was acting on information given to him by the Prosecution much of which he could not reveal to them as it was classified police information) One of Foreman' s former Co-accused - Alfie Gerrard - died later in mysterious circumstances - his Son, in his early Thirties - Nicky Gerrard - reputed contract killer and enforcer - was executed years later in an East London Street by two masked men armed with hand guns and shotguns - reported in court as telling their target - "This one's for Ginger Marks" - before shooting him at point blank range in the head with multiple gunshots as he pleaded on his knees for mercy. Other Media reports give other different versions of this incident based on other reports regarding other potential enemies Gerrard may have had. ALL Police, Her Majesty's Customs, and all other files held at the Public Records Office in Kew, SW London; relating to Freddie Foreman are SEALED and Cannot be accessed by any means (including under new Freedom of Information requests now available to members of the public) for 75 years by anyone except AUTHORISED Police Officers at Scotland Yard above Deputy Commissioner Rank. This Order is in place for information linked in any way to Foreman ONLY for the case described above and many others - including files relating to his very close relationships with high ranking Detectives at Scotland Yard (some reports by the media include the Senior Investigating Officer's in the Great Train Robbery in 1963 - and other Senior Flying Squad Detectives - namely DCI Tommy Butler and DCI Leonard "Nipper" Read, the Brinks Mat Gold Bullion Robbery in 1981, the Murder of a Customs and Excise Officer in East London during an Undercover Operation involving Major Drug shipments into the United Kingdom - and other notable or less well publicised investigations - some dating back as far as the 1950's. Forman has not been convicted or even charged in ANY of these cases. Notably - a senior source at HMRC reported that Her Majesty's Customs Top Brass were furious when they were told they could not proceed against Foreman in any way after one of their own Undercover Officers was shot dead (above) and Foreman was linked to the other individuals in that investigation - all of which received very high sentences and one alleged conspiritor - a career criminal from London - "Duke" Osbourne - had told close friends at the time he now had information that Foreman was an informant and would be allowed to walk away from that Drugs and Murder case in return for information to ensure convictions of everyone else involved. "Duke" Osbourne was found DEAD on Hackney Marshes before the trial - after going on the run - his death recorded as SUICIDE. This has been rejected by all of his Family and Friends as absurd. Case files have been sealed or simply gone missing according to a Coroner's report seen at an additional inquest that was allowed to re-open and re-examine the cause of his death. It has been reported that Foreman has been a Protected High Level Police Informant for decades - his role only known by a small number of the Highest Ranking Police Officer's in London - his activities, have sometimes been ignored completely; or in cases where arrests and any eventual convictions are unavoidable - have not led to Foreman serving sentences at the higher end of the legal Tarif. Allegedly this has allowed the Authorities to continue receiving invaluable intelligence during ongoing and future operations into Organised Crime - many including other Friends and Associates of Foreman's. After many, many years it is now being reported that his information has been essential in many cases and led to the arrests and convictions of hundred's of Criminals - including the Great Train Robber's - many now since deceased - ALL friends of Foreman - some growing up with him in South London. (1999-11-28). "London's new Krays take Soho | UK news | The Observer". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 2013-10-27. line feed character in |author= at position 2675 (help)
  9. ↑ "Bernard O'Mahoney — Essexboys - The Triple Rettendon Murders - Articles - ??/03/96 - MURDER INC". Bernardomahoney.com. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  10. ↑ Mark Townsend (2008-05-18). "Colombian 'hit' that set off a UK cocaine war | World news | The Observer". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  11. ↑ Tony Bell (1995-05-16). "So, who does run Toxteth? | World news | The Independent". London: Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
  12. ↑ "The Hurricane Port: A Social History of Liverpool". Books.google.be. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
  13. ↑ "Lyons and Daniels embroiled in gangland feud | Scotland | News | STV". News. 2010-03-19. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  14. ↑ Dan Warburton (2010-12-28). "Paddy Conroy on his feud with Sayers family". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  15. ↑ http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/ogblog/439840/The-worlds-most-powerful-criminal-syndicates/
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