21.   Substitute a crime syndicate for city government.

22.   That keeps their profile low, an important necessity for any money earner who wants to avoid the scrutiny of tax authorities and crime syndicates.

23.   The cases do not include those victimized by terrorist groups or private organizations like crime syndicates.

24.   The conclave of gangsters from major cities across country convinced many law-enforcement officials of the existence of a national crime syndicate.

25.   The fastest growing crime syndicates in Southern California involve ethnic Russians, Armenians and other natives of Eastern Europe, according to law enforcement officials.

26.   The government is taking its time, in part to weed out crime syndicates that may try to obtain a license.

27.   The growth in ethnic crime syndicates is worth noting.

28.   They also report a growing number of organized pickpockets, connected to a South American crime syndicate, who work in teams of up to five.

29.   This is no crime syndicate on the rampage.

30.   They said bosses of several major crime syndicates had phoned the newspaper to insist that they were not involved.