Which term means three or more persons who collaborate in carrying on criminal activities, although participants may not know each other's identity?

• A. Conspiracy
• B. Gang
• C. Syndicate
• D. Combination

Answer: (D)

Three or more people who work together to carry out criminal activities, even if they don’t know each other’s identities, are described by the term combination. The emphasis is on acting in concert toward a common criminal purpose, not on forming a formal pact or knowing every participant. This fits situations where individuals contribute to a criminal enterprise without a single, explicit agreement or awareness of everyone involved.

Why this fits better than the others: conspiracy centers on an agreement between at least two people to commit a crime and often involves knowledge of others’ involvement. A gang is typically a named, organized group with identifying symbols or territory. A syndicate refers to a formal organized crime operation. Combination, by contrast, covers multiple participants who collaborate toward the illicit objective even if their identities aren’t known to each other.