Perhaps no development has changed the face of global organized crime more than the rise of the Russian Mafia. From the rubble of the Soviet empire has sprung a far-reaching criminal class comprised of several thousand gangs, whose influence extends from major banks and businesses to the ruling councils of former Soviet republics. They have played key roles in stripping those countries of billions of dollars in currency, precious metal, natural resources, and more.
And it is not only the Russians at work, but a panoply of violent ethnic gangs: Georgians, Chechens, Ukrainians, and more. Former KGB and police agents are behind many of the gangs.