Russian Organized Crime (Cummings Center Series)

The development of Russian organized crime over the last few years has been nothing short of spectacular. Russian criminal organizations have become a major factor in Russia's evolution towards democracy and a free market, although the exact nature of their impact is still poorly understood. They have infiltrated the banking system, taken control of many businesses, and have engaged in a wide variety of criminal activities ranging from extortion, control of prostitution and drug-trafficking, to trafficking in nuclear material. For all the concern and publicity it has generated, Russian organized crime is not well understood, which makes this volume all the more timely.