[6] Accounts of the association between Jamaican political factions and the rise of the Yardies are given in the factual books Ruthless by Geoff Small and Born Fi' Dead by Laurie Gunst.
These political Yardie gangs thus increasingly turned to apolitical criminal activity, such as drug trafficking, to bring in income.
In 2018, British actor Idris Elba made his directorial debut with his feature film Yardie, based on Headley's book.
Yardie gangs are notorious for their involvement in gun crime and the illegal drug trade, notably marijuana and crack cocaine in the United Kingdom.
In 1993, Yardies were blamed for the murder of Police Constable Patrick Dunne, shot dead while patrolling in Clapham.
[13] In 2006, Rohan Chung, described as a Jamaican yard gangster was given three life sentences for the murders of Noel Patterson and his daughters, Connie and Lorna Morrison.
[15] Academics have noted a tendency to over-label black British crime as "Yardie"-related due to stereotype and social narrative.
[17] Yardies (or imitating) gangs also appear to be active in Bristol, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Nottingham but to a lesser extent.