Arifs (gang)
The Arifs are a south-east London-based Turkish criminal organization heavily involved in armed robbery, drug trafficking and other racketeering-related activities within London's underworld since the late 1960s. Following the downfall of the Kray brothers, the Arifs were one of several criminal organisations who took control of the London underworld including the Clerkenwell crime syndicate and the Brindle family with whom they were engaged in a highly publicised gangland war during the 1990s.
| Founded by | Mehmet Arif, Deniz Arif and Doğan Arif |
|---|---|
| Founding location | South London |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Territory | South London |
| Ethnicity | Turkish |
| Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, armed robbery, arms trafficking, extortion |
| Allies | Clerkenwell crime syndicate, Turkish mafia |
| Rivals | The Brindles, the Nemeths |
The Arifs themselves were considered the leading crime family in the London area throughout the late 1980s before the arrest and conviction of most of its leadership, including most of the Arif family members, for armed robbery and drug-related offences in early 1990s. In 2004, the Irish Daily Mirror called the Arifs "Britain's No 1 crime family." This was also said by some media outlets in 2016.