Orion Syndicate

The Orion Syndicate is a criminal cabal created by the Orions. The Syndicate had been established by the 22nd century, and by the time of the 24th century it was an organized crime cartel, the equivalent of an interstellar mafia. The Syndicate from its inception included among its principal activities smuggling, piracy, slave trading, and assassination.

During the 22nd century, the Orion Syndicate was a somewhat more hegemonic organization, that controlled space neighboring the Klingon Empire, near the Briar Patch, and heavily patrolled by the area of space known as the Borderland, often abducting crew members of alien ships for the slave trade. (ENT: "Borderland")

In "Bound", it was insinuated that the female members of the Orion species ran the Syndicate through a mind controlling pheromone. It can be assumed that this aided their expansion as it was demonstrated to work on non-Orion species. This would seem to indicate a matriarchal system; however, it may be decentralized. By the 24th century, the Orion Syndicate was purely a criminal organization without political corporation, becoming an interstellar mafia operating within the borders of the United Federation of Planets. Syndicate members from species as diverse as Humans, Bolians, Ferengi and Farians maintain influence on several independent worlds like New Sydney and Farius Prime. The Syndicate even had operatives on Earth and, for a time, in Starfleet. (DS9: "Honor Among Thieves")

In 2374, the Syndicate was contacted by the Dominion during an attempt to destabilize the Klingon-Federation Alliance, during the Dominion War. (DS9: "Honor Among Thieves")

If a member of the Syndicate is killed, the Syndicate looks after the deceased member's family. The Syndicate took care of Morica Bilby by forcing the Tigan family to pay her money from their pergium business. (DS9: "Prodigal Daughter")

The Orion syndicate also requires a substantial joining fee. (DS9: "The Ascent")