Abstract
Statement of Problem
Russian organized crime (ROC) groups originated in the Communist ruled, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), where corruption and bribery became essential for survival and criminal groups established powerful relationships with Russian leaders. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989, ROC groups established criminal rings with other global organized crime groups and emerged as a transnational threat. In a global economy, ROC groups threaten to destabilize international markets through the commission of traditional organized crime and complex computer crimes that extend throughout cyberspace into countries around the world.
Sources of Data
Due to the global aspect of this study, an extensive collection of international periodicals, books, scholarly journals and reports was critical to the completion of this study. Reports from law enforcement agencies and research groups, such as the U.S. Department of State, California Attorney General's Office, National Defense University, Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS), California Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were of significant value. The literature revealed how the combination of new and traditional organized crimes has contributed to the threat of ROC as a global criminal enterprise.
Conclusions Reached
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, globalization has changed criminal markets substantially; the ease of travel has obscured borders and the Internet has created a global, but vulnerable economy. Since 1990, ROC groups have targeted these vulnerable markets and have emerged as a global threat. Their criminal activities, once confined to the borders of Russia, now threaten public and private institutions as they attack computer systems, network with other criminal cartels and terrorist organizations and engage in traditional and non-traditional forms of organized crime. Presently, Russia remains as a nation of significant social and political instability where ROC groups thrive. International criminal justice systems must recognize that a global response is necessary to combat the elaborate and constantly changing crimes of ROC groups as they pose a significant threat to social and government infrastructures around the world.