Not all criminals lurk in dark corners waiting for victims. Some deal in oddly specific goods, while others form their own subcultures fit for a comic book. Let's take a look at the...
Did you know about the dark underbelly of the maple syrup industry? (diapicard)
Here's the problem - the amount of syrup farmers can sell is regulated by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (abbreviated to FPAQ in French.) The bulk of the harvest has to be handed over to the FPAQ, who then decide how much is put out for sale or export - and at what price. Individual farmers are only allowed to sell up to 5 liter containers to visitors, or sell to local supermarkets with the FPAQ skimming a 12% commission for the privilege.
This rather draconian oversight has inspired some farmers to take up syrup-smuggling. They load up trucks under the cover of darkness and run across the border, selling the product in neighboring provinces. They risk the FPAQ's enforcement arm (private security backed up by police) to do so, along with large fines.
This does let farmers sell to who they want, at prices they choose - and since syrup sells at around 25 times the cost of crude oil, it can be a tempting proposition. The profits have even inspired criminals to raid FPAQ storage facilities, siphoning the syrup out of barrels at night!
So on one hand we have rebel farmers smuggling illicit goods across the border; on the other we have a government-backed cartel "regulating" the market via strongarm tactics. All over maple syrup.
The group didn't immediately jump to the nipple tactic. They would happily drop a tablet in an unwatched drink or push a tablet (held beneath the tongue) into the client's mouth during a kiss, claiming it was an aphrodisiac if detected. If all else failed, a coating of Rohypnol on the nipples could drug the client during foreplay.
Hair-Raiding PiranhasThey may not be their namesake fish, but the piranha gangs of Venezuela are fast, opportunistic and vicious. Equipped with scissors, they patrol streets, beeches and shopping malls looking for prey - then quickly strike. The target? Long, healthy hair.
This isn't just some act of public nuisance. Synthetic hair can cost quite a bit (ranging from $40-$160), but human hair is even more valuable - it can fetch as much as $500. Thieves looking for easy money can grab long hair and chop off a chunk for an easy score, selling the stolen locks to hair-stylists or wig-makers!
Enter the Bōsōzoku or "violent running tribe" - a vehicular subculture originally associated with motorbikes that eventually incorporated fast cars. They were particularly popular amongst ex-fighter pilots, many of whom would be preparing to become kamikaze.
Riding customized bikes through and between cities, the nascent Bōsōzoku pulled stunts, intimidated locals and generally showed off. They also got into fights between each other. One group was known for setting ropes across streets that were pulled taut as rivals tried to ride past, but each gang developed their own methods of attack.
The gangs wore tokkofuku (long jackets) emblazoned with gang colors and iconography. It was common for a tokkofuku to be taken as a trophy from a rival after beating them into a pulp with improvised weapons. Perhaps it was inevitable that the Bōsōzoku would become a recruiting ground for the Yakuza.
The sukeban rose in response to all-male bancho gangs consisting of delinquent youths. In fact, sukeban itself means "delinquent girl," or the head of a group of delinquent girls. They customized school uniforms in a similar manner to the punk movement, wearing them even after leaving the education system. This look was often combined with brightly-dyed or styled hair... and plenty of hidden weapons.
Though most of the crime committed by these groups was petty, they could and would put razors, chains or even bamboo "swords" to use. This arsenal was easily concealed by the long skirts favored as part of the "uniform" of sukeban. They would also regulate the behavior of their members - for example, crimes of "disloyalty" were often punished with cigarette burns.
Perhaps adoption by the media was a given, considering the surreal image of schoolgirl-dressed criminals engaging in acts of violence. A whole genre of movies known as "pinky violence" sprung up based on the sukeban, and the character Gogo Yubari in Tarantino's Kill Bill is a clear example of the subculture.
- Maple Syrup Smugglers
- The Notorious Nipple Gang
- Hair-Raiding Piranhas
- Bōsōzoku Biker Gangs
- Sukeban Girl Gangs
Did you know about the dark underbelly of the maple syrup industry? (diapicard)
Maple Syrup Smugglers
Used in breakfasts, desserts and glazes, maple syrup is a golden-brown sweet liquid substance extracted from maple trees. Canada has something of a monopoly on it, especially the province of Quebec.Here's the problem - the amount of syrup farmers can sell is regulated by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (abbreviated to FPAQ in French.) The bulk of the harvest has to be handed over to the FPAQ, who then decide how much is put out for sale or export - and at what price. Individual farmers are only allowed to sell up to 5 liter containers to visitors, or sell to local supermarkets with the FPAQ skimming a 12% commission for the privilege.
This rather draconian oversight has inspired some farmers to take up syrup-smuggling. They load up trucks under the cover of darkness and run across the border, selling the product in neighboring provinces. They risk the FPAQ's enforcement arm (private security backed up by police) to do so, along with large fines.
This does let farmers sell to who they want, at prices they choose - and since syrup sells at around 25 times the cost of crude oil, it can be a tempting proposition. The profits have even inspired criminals to raid FPAQ storage facilities, siphoning the syrup out of barrels at night!
So on one hand we have rebel farmers smuggling illicit goods across the border; on the other we have a government-backed cartel "regulating" the market via strongarm tactics. All over maple syrup.
The Notorious Nipple Gang
A group of sex workers operating in Thailand, this gang got their colorful name from a cunning tactic. They made use of the drug Rohypnol (a substance that sedates the imbiber) to knock out sex-tourists, before looting their hotel rooms. They would administer the drug in a number of ways, but their ace-in-the-hole was to coat their nipples with the liquid version.The group didn't immediately jump to the nipple tactic. They would happily drop a tablet in an unwatched drink or push a tablet (held beneath the tongue) into the client's mouth during a kiss, claiming it was an aphrodisiac if detected. If all else failed, a coating of Rohypnol on the nipples could drug the client during foreplay.
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| Wigs are expensive... (Anna Savina) |
Hair-Raiding PiranhasThey may not be their namesake fish, but the piranha gangs of Venezuela are fast, opportunistic and vicious. Equipped with scissors, they patrol streets, beeches and shopping malls looking for prey - then quickly strike. The target? Long, healthy hair.
This isn't just some act of public nuisance. Synthetic hair can cost quite a bit (ranging from $40-$160), but human hair is even more valuable - it can fetch as much as $500. Thieves looking for easy money can grab long hair and chop off a chunk for an easy score, selling the stolen locks to hair-stylists or wig-makers!
Bōsōzoku Biker Gangs
Postwar Japan was a strange place. Many young men who had been training for the military (and arguably indoctrinated into a "die for glory" mindset) were suddenly cut loose in society.Enter the Bōsōzoku or "violent running tribe" - a vehicular subculture originally associated with motorbikes that eventually incorporated fast cars. They were particularly popular amongst ex-fighter pilots, many of whom would be preparing to become kamikaze.
Riding customized bikes through and between cities, the nascent Bōsōzoku pulled stunts, intimidated locals and generally showed off. They also got into fights between each other. One group was known for setting ropes across streets that were pulled taut as rivals tried to ride past, but each gang developed their own methods of attack.
The gangs wore tokkofuku (long jackets) emblazoned with gang colors and iconography. It was common for a tokkofuku to be taken as a trophy from a rival after beating them into a pulp with improvised weapons. Perhaps it was inevitable that the Bōsōzoku would become a recruiting ground for the Yakuza.
Sukeban Girl Gangs
It sounds like the plot of a particularly low budget movie, but did you know that 1970s Japan was inundated with gangs of young women with a penchant for violence and schoolgirl outfits?The sukeban rose in response to all-male bancho gangs consisting of delinquent youths. In fact, sukeban itself means "delinquent girl," or the head of a group of delinquent girls. They customized school uniforms in a similar manner to the punk movement, wearing them even after leaving the education system. This look was often combined with brightly-dyed or styled hair... and plenty of hidden weapons.
Though most of the crime committed by these groups was petty, they could and would put razors, chains or even bamboo "swords" to use. This arsenal was easily concealed by the long skirts favored as part of the "uniform" of sukeban. They would also regulate the behavior of their members - for example, crimes of "disloyalty" were often punished with cigarette burns.
Perhaps adoption by the media was a given, considering the surreal image of schoolgirl-dressed criminals engaging in acts of violence. A whole genre of movies known as "pinky violence" sprung up based on the sukeban, and the character Gogo Yubari in Tarantino's Kill Bill is a clear example of the subculture.
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