Contemporary Russian Organised Crime: Embedded in Russian Society

The Russian mafia has gained enormous currency as a post-Cold War security threat. Western Europe sees the growth of the drug trade, human smuggling and trafficking and money laundering from Russia as a major security challenge. Russian organised crime is therefore not only a domestic problem for the Russian state but also an international one. The predominance of organised crime in both political and economic life will be a major determinant of Russia’s future development and its ability to maintain its standing in the international community.