Russian Organized Crime: Recent Trends in the Baltic Sea Region

A new criminal landscape is emerging in Europe. A key factor behind the dramatically increasing crime levels is Russian organized crime. While these groups are often comprised of Russians, they are not based solely on ethnicity, often members are also from former Soviet republics. According to Europol, these groups are among the most dangerous criminal groups operating in Europe today. They are involved in every type of illegal activity and excel in exploiting new opportunities in the economic and financial sectors. They make exorbitant amounts of money from illegal activities such as money laundering, human and drug trafficking, smuggling and extortion. Their activities have grown and spread to other countries to such an extent that they pose a serious problem affecting all EU member states. This report documents recent trends.

Contributors: Aurelijus Gutauskas, Walter Kegö, Liis Lill, Alexandru Molcean, Greg Nizhnikau, Vladimir Ovchinsky, Alexander Sukharenko, Andrejs Vilks, and Christina Wenngren.