The earliest example of organized crime in which pirates roamed the high seas and plundered ship. smuggling snatching piracy chiseling

Piracy--the attack of piracy was the attacking of ships and taking of the goods. 

Pirate or privateers worked in crews with a hierarchy targeting merchant ships to attack and take the good on the ship. The goods would then be sold on the black market or traded for other more valuable items. Royal ships were especially targeted as they often contained gold and other luxury items.