There isn’t much difference between a criminal gang with enough “muscle” and a corrupt government, as North Korea demonstrates. From Heroin Busts Point to Source Of Funds for North Koreans:
North Korea’s exports from legitimate businesses totaled just $650 million in 2001, according to South Korea’s central bank. But its annual revenue from illegal drugs runs between $500 million and $1 billion, officials at the U.S. military command in South Korea estimate. Another source of hard currency: secret missile sales that U.S. forces in South Korea estimate added up to $560 million in 2001.
As long as the market for drugs is a black market, we have to expect a lot of money to find its way into criminal (or corrupt-government) hands.