When a thug murders or robs, the act is called Thuggee or tuggee, the Hindi word for deceit. The origin of the word thug is derived from the act of thugging from an ancient fraternity of assassins. The first mention of thugs in India was in the year 1356 A.D. and have been in operation for over 600 years. Thugs are referred to a band group or fraternity of assassins.