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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:34 pm
Time: 8:34 pm
Results for organized crime (russia)
4 results foundAuthor: Finckenauer, James O. Title: U.S.-Russian Cooperation in Combating Organied Crime Summary: In Russia, a number of criminal organizations that together make up organized crime are involved in a broad variety of crimes that range from both simple and sophisticated frauds to drug trafficking and murder. This wave of criminal activity serves as an incredibly destabilizing influence as Russia struggles to achieve economic and political reform. It chills foreign investment, widens the gap between rich and poor, and ultimately undermines confidence in the government. Given a strong joint interest in investigating and prosecuting these criminals on both sides of the Atlantic, the purposes of our modest effort here are as follows: • Review and describe the current status of U.S.-Russian cooperation on organized crime; Seek illustrative case examples of both problems and successes in this area; Review the pertinent legal and research literature; Interview key U.S. officials; Interview nongovernmental experts such as academics and journalists; and Formulate actionable policy recommendations. Details: Policy Brief from the the U.S.-Russia Experts Forum, 2008. Source: Year: 2008 Country: Russia URL: Shelf Number: 120593 Keywords: Organized Crime (Russia) |
Author: Kego, Walter Title: The Untouchables: Russian 'Dirty Money' in Europe Summary: In Europe, Russian organized crime rackets are quickly gathering a name for themselves as “untouchables.” As their wealth increases and EU banking regulation falters, it is a name that is ever more apt. Money laundering in the European Union by Russian organized crime remains a problem for member states. Governments and banks continue to allow the accounts and transactions of criminals to go unregulated. However, increased regulation hurts the profits of EU banks, which can potentially profit from the illegal transactions. Hence, governments are often reluctant to increase regulation in times of crisis. Despite member states’ reluctance to enforce regulations it is imperative they do so as these illicit channels bring with them an influx of crime and corruption into the EU. Details: Nacka, Sweden: Institute for Security & Development Policy, 2012. 2p. Source: ISDP Policy Brief No. 101: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2012 at http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2012_kego-georgieff_untouchables.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2012_kego-georgieff_untouchables.pdf Shelf Number: 126925 Keywords: Money Laundering (Europe)Organized Crime (Russia)Transnational Crime |
Author: Sukharenko, Alexander Title: Russian Organized Crime and its Impact on Foreign Economies Summary: According to Russia’s National Security Strategy (2009), criminalization of the economy is one of the long-term threats to internal security. In 2011, Russia’s shadow economy was probably worth 19 trillion rubles ($632 billion), or 35 percent of gross domestic product. While rising in absolute terms, the figure has fallen from 77 percent of GDP in 1994 and tumbled to as low as 28 percent in 2009-2010. This size is 3.5 times larger than corresponding G-7 economies like the U.S., France, and Canada (GFI, 2013). The World Economic Forum reports on global competiveness show that the level of harm of business caused by Russian organized crime is one of the highest, not only in Europe, but also in the whole world. In 2012, Russia ranks 114th out of 144 countries on this indicator (WEF, 2012). The lack of laws, lax regulation, corruption, and extreme forms of violence have enabled criminal organizations to make substantial inroads into lucrative economic sectors, including energy, metallurgy, construction, banking and retail. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (2012) estimated that some 1,000 different companies are controlled by organized crime. Organized crimes’ success can be attributed in part to the fact that many members of the elite, who are influential in economics and politics, are directly involved in illicit activities. Corrupt officials provide criminal front companies with licenses and quotas, customs exemptions, budgetary funds, municipal and state property. Further, law enforcement officials often help eliminate their competitors, and provide criminal bosses with protection from the law. A significant portion of criminal proceeds are transferred and laundered through offshore banks and shell companies. According to Global Financial Integrity, Russia is the fifth largest exporter of illicit capital over the past decade, behind China, Mexico, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, respectively (GFI, 2012). The Russian economy lost at least $211.5 billion in illicit financial outflows from 1994 to 2011 (or about US$11.8 billion per annum). These outflows represent the proceeds of crime, corruption, and tax evasion, and have serious negative consequences for the national economy (GFI, 2013). Some of this money has returned to Russia at favorable exchange rates, where it has been reinvested in other illicit schemes or used to purchase real estate, companies, and banks. As a result of this cycle, many criminal bosses made up a significant proportion of the new wealthy class. Details: Stockholm: Institute for Security and Development Policy, 2013. 3p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief No. 114, 2013: Accessed May 22, 2013 at: http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2013-sukharenko-russian-organized-crime.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Russia URL: http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2013-sukharenko-russian-organized-crime.pdf Shelf Number: 128775 Keywords: Money LaunderingOrganized Crime (Russia)Political CorruptionShadow Economies |
Author: Kego, Walter Title: he Threat of Russian Criminal Money: Reassessing EU Anti-Money Laundering Policy Summary: Since the early 1990s, Russian criminal networks have plagued the European Union. The spread of organized crime groups from Russia, following the break-up of the Soviet Union, has brought with it increased violence and the rise of illicit networks. However, these organized crime groups thrive precisely because the Eastern European member states of the EU continue to allow the illicit money from these groups to pass through their financial institutions. Whether this is because of corruption or an institutional inability to counteract the problem, money laundering persists, which acts to undermine the EU as a whole. In 2005, the EU adopted the Third EU Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Directive, which saw the ushering in of the new risk-based AML regulation strategy. The system has been lauded as a vast improvement to the bureaucratic and inflexible rule-based system utilized before. Nonetheless, eight years later it is necessary to assess the success and failures of the current system, and identify the need for increased government oversight in countries where money laundering continues to be a problem. Trends and evidence indicate that there are Eastern European banks actively involved in laundering illegal money from Russia into the rest of Europe. The Baltic States, for example, are often the first port of call for Russian and Ukrainian illicit and stolen capital. Numerous examples illustrate this continuing problem—the Vanagels Connection, for instance, a cross-border money laundering and offshore network that has concealed the origins of millions of illicit euros, has involved numerous Baltic banks. Governments of the Eastern European member states of the EU have begun to counteract money laundering, but their efforts are lethargic and remain mostly unsuccessful. To combat the continuing spread of money laundering in the EU, three steps must be taken. First, EU banks must do their part to increase compliance with anti-money laundering protocols and not engage in relationships with banks suspected of laundering illicit assets. Second, nations must take responsibility for their financial institutions that are harboring illicit funds. Through their financial intelligence units and justice system, they must ensure financial institutions are reporting money laundering cases, and confiscate illicit capital. Third, in order to ensure 6 Walter Kegö & Alexander Georgieff both of the former steps, the EU must take an active role in ensuring all EU countries not only comply, but also enforce money laundering laws. How these steps should be carried out will be covered in this paper. Russian organized crime continues to be a problem in Europe, and their power and reach will continue to grow if their financial channels are not dismantled. It is up to the EU to stop the rot and compel banks and governments to acknowledge that the long-term risk of being involved with the Russian criminal world is too high. Details: Stockholm: Institute for Security and Development Policy, 2013. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Stockholm Paper: Accessed July 9, 2013 at: http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2013-kego-georgieff-russian-criminal-money.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Russia URL: http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2013-kego-georgieff-russian-criminal-money.pdf Shelf Number: 129331 Keywords: Money LaunderingOrganized Crime (Russia) |