Russian Mafia
The Russian Mafia is a name given to various groups of organized criminals in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. They are seen to be very influential.The Russian Mafia appears to be organised in simular ways to the legendary Italian mafia. However it is believed to be a very loose organisation with feuds and murder, which are often brutal, commonplace. Though they attempt to portray themselves as well-heeled gangsters, they are in reality little more than general thugs.
The groups came about during the economic disaster of the 1990s that followed the fall of the Soviet Union. Desperate for money, many turned to crime and the Mafia was a natural extention of this trend. According to official estimates, some 100,000 Russians are hard-core mobsters, with a large but unknown number engaging in these criminal practices on and off.
Many of the bosses and main members are believed to be ex- Soviet army and ex-KGB officers who lost their posts in the reduction in forces that began in 1993 after the end of the cold war. It is also believed that many of the groups enforcers are ex-Russian Spetnaz special forces, an organisation renowned for its brutality.
Since the mid-90s the Russians have been trying to expand into America, most often via the traficking of drugs and illegal weapons. This has led to some brutal wars with the organisations already present including the Italian Mafia and the Japanese Yakuza. The group is believed to have links to Columbian drugs smugglers and many of the smaller gangs resulting from the fall of the Soviet Union. Some also believe they are at the heart of gangs smuggling illegal workers west to the EU and most often Britain though no proof has been offered for this at this time.
Over the last few years, the FBI and Russian security have cracked down hard on the Mafia, though impact of this has yet to be measured. Many mafioso have become rich in America and have begun to imitate the Italian Mafia in lifestyle. This has lead to the organisation appearing to soften up, though in reality they are as nasty as ever.