Organised Crime in - and from - Communist and Post-communist States

While the physical gang fights so common in the 1990s are now rare in Russia, Russian organised crime (OC) has not disappeared. Rather, its nature has changed. For example, Russian criminals have a marked presence on the internet (cybercrime). Furthermore, Russian police officers have been replacing civilian OC groups in running protection rackets. But what of OC elsewhere in Communist and post-communist countries? This paper outlines its development in four post-communist and three Communist states, highlighting commonalities and differences, and suggesting structural reasons for these. It analyses the transnationalisation of crime from these countries, arguing that the collapse of Communism, globalisation, and the technological revolution are among the major factors explaining the growth of OC in and from these countries.