The Russian Mafia were a popular crime syndicate even posing as the greatest threat to the U.S. national security during the mid-1990s. With over 6,000 different groups around the globe, their activities are flown under the radar and limited action has been done to aware United States citizens. The Russian Mafia are commonly know as “Bratva” and still remain a trouble to America and it is important to understand their origins, the illegal activities they pursue in the U.S. and why they should be stopped.
Illegal demands were needed in Russian and thus began a criminal organization known as the Russian Mafia. Organized crime has existed in Russia (former Soviet Union) for 400 or more …show more content…
Friedman states how Russian Mafia differs from the Sicilian Mafia, whereas the Sicilian’s abstain from harming the lives of journalists, judges, prosecutors, and innocent family members, the Russians have no remorse. According to a retired New York City policeman he states the Russians shoot just about anyone “just to see if their gun works.” There is an unending amount of illegal activities that the Russian Mafia pursues in with drugs, arms trafficking, stolen automobiles, trafficking in women and children, and money laundering being the most prevalent. Other minimal activities include alien smuggling, trafficking vital materials such as timber and oil, and rumored nuclear trafficking. Behind these criminal acts lies a set of characteristics followed. A popular tactic is the use of violence, including both the threat and the use of force. The use of violence has been dated long ago to being effective in organized crime. Hierarchical structure to move up ranks and limited or exclusive membership is common because only the very best criminals act within the Russian Mafia. Military-style discipline that follow strict rules and governance appears most likely due to the background of most members being in war. Lastly, members of the Russian Mafia possess high-tech equipment, such as military weapons. According to a testification by …show more content…
Although the big question still remains and that is how do we eradicate this criminal organization not only from the United States but everywhere? According to Euan Grant in his article “The Russian Mafia and organised crime: how can this global force be tamed?” there should be operational security between law enforcement agencies, banks should increase their regulations, and overall awareness within both law enforcements and banks. While both law enforcement agencies and financial institutes need to put an end to Russian organized crime, I believe it will be a lengthy mission and citizens of the United States should bring awareness as well because if they are not stopped America will be affected