Organized crime in Charnea
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| Founding location | Charnea |
|---|---|
| Territory | Areas of Scipia |
| Ethnicity | Tenerians Kel Udayen Deshrians Metis |
| Criminal activities | Racketeering, internet fraud, smuggling, extortion, loan sharking, human trafficking, money laundering, robbery, terrorism, arms trafficking, gambling, bribery, murder and forgery |
Organized crime in Charnea is a widespread and pervasive element of society in the Republic of Charnea which encompasses numerous different organizations of regional, national and international scale. A history of government corruption, lax enforcement and at times intentional neglect on the part of the state authorities enabled organized criminal outfits in Charnea to thrive and expand the scope and sophistication of their operations across the country as well as internationally, in spite of the infrequent but often draconian crack-downs carried out by select elements of the state security apparatus. Organized crime and the shadow economy it sustains have become deeply entrenched in Charnean society as a result. The exact structure and criminal nature of the groups involved in organized crime is variable depending on the region and the social environment of a particular locale. In general terms, however, the gangs and syndicates of the Charnean underground have, by and large, moved away from violent, high visibility criminal activity such as robbery, hijacking and the banditry many of these same organizations were founded on in order to transition towards the lucrative business of the illegal drug trade and the international smuggling operations it is associated with.
Early history
The origins of organized crime in Charnea goes back to the early 19th century with the emergence of the societies of Imekeren, a classification of nomads who specialized in raiding and banditry as opposed to herding, caravan running and military service as a way of life. An emeker or "bandit" was originally a term to refer to individuals or small groups within nomadic society that had turned to criminal transgressions against the wider confederation, typically by robbing travelers and stealing livestock. The term, however, would become more specific as the criminals it described became more organized and began to act in larger clan-sized groups to conduct larger scale operations for illicit profit.