The Transnational Russian Mafia

Abstract

The Russian Mafia²⁸ has been identified by various writers as a transnational criminal organization (Amir, 1996; Bovenkerk and Siegel, 2000; Gilinski, 2002; Shelley, 1997, Williams, 1995; Williams, 1997). It is assumed that the opening of the borders and the mass emigration after the break-up of the Soviet Union provided Russian criminals with the opportunity to organize criminal enterprises abroad, to create networks among immigrants and to organize their activities all over the world. Some criminologists consider organized crime an inevitable aspect of migration (Amir, 1996; Finckenauer & Waring, 1998). They also argue that organized crime usually takes place among immigrants during the first stage of their settling in the receiving countries. Successful immigrant businessmen, leading sportsmen, politicians and other public figures become targets for kidnapping, extortion or other violent crimes (Konstantinov and Dikselius, 1997:453).

²⁸ The term ‘Mafia’ is widely discussed in criminological literature (Fentress, 2000, Varese, 2001). Here it is used in its ‘emic’ meaning, i.e. as it is used by Russian-speakers themselves (see Siegel, 2002: 21–22).