It's no secret that illegal business is thriving in our time. The drug trade alone occupies a huge sector of the black market economy in the aggregate, and its share is 600 billion dollars annually - approximately 70 percent of the income of all criminal organizations in the world. In addition, approximately one and a half trillion dollars of drug profits are laundered through legal businesses every year, which is approximately 5 percent of the gross domestic product Earth. If five percent doesn't seem like such a big deal, consider that we are talking about money received annually around the world, and this is by no means a drop in the ocean.
Among other branches of the global crime industry, one can find very unusual black markets - some of them seem to be urban legends, others involve the trade in completely legal services, and together they receive incredible amounts of money for the share of each criminal involved. Below are ten of the strangest illegal trades.
10 Primates
Many species of wildlife suffer from poaching and illegal trade, but primates, especially chimpanzees and orangutans, are among the most frequently abducted for a variety of reasons. Not only are they stolen and sold for consumption in some countries (yes, some people do eat them), they are often used in biomedical research as test subjects and are also sold as pets to the entertainment industry. While thousands of primates are legally imported into the United States each year, mostly for research purposes, which is rather reprehensible in itself, about 3,000 more monkeys are stolen, and sometimes acquired legally, even if the means by which they were caught, against the law.
In fact, the United States is one of the few countries where keeping hominids, or great great apes, is legal. Just over 100 great great apes are kept as pets in the US. In Indonesia, exactly where poachers operate, as punishment for keeping such monkeys, they simply beat their hands, and the animal itself, as a rule, is simply taken away.
This is a big part of the problem - according to a recent UN report, since 2005 more than 22,000 monkeys have been lost, either to poaching or to death in the process. In all this time, as many as 27 poaching-related arrests have been made in Africa and Asia, with less than a quarter of those detained being brought to justice. Not surprisingly, monkey poaching makes up a gigantic share of the illegal wildlife trade, generating over $10 billion each year.
9. Timber
While the legal lumber industry has long sought to reduce the recognized potential environmental damage, the illegal version of the industry has become an incredibly widespread problem. According to statistics, in the United States alone, the amount of lost income from illegal logging is $1 billion annually. In countries such as Brazil and Peru, approximately 80 percent of all timber production is illegal. Economic losses around the world amount to about 10 billion dollars a year, and this is only monetary consequence illegal cutting of trees.
Clearly, illegal logging is not subject to government oversight to protect environment and minimizing damage in areas that need protection. Clear felling is one of the main reasons global change climate change and recent research has shown a very real possibility that rainforest wildlife could be on the brink of extinction within the next hundred years from illegal logging and global climate change. But even more worrying is the fact that the illegal timber industry not only does not slow down, but even tries to compete with other branches of the illegal trade, such as, for example, the drug trade. If you imagine packets of cocaine being transported in the trunks of illegally felled trees, then the picture is correct.
The illegal timber industry accounts for approximately 30 percent of the global timber trade and brings the criminal organizations involved in this business about 10-15 billion dollars annually.
8. Organs
If this sounds a bit far-fetched or like something out of a horror movie, you'll be surprised to know that the human organ trade is very real - and a huge business.
The vast majority of illegally cut organs are kidneys, since a person needs only one to survive. Some desperate "donors" accept illegal surgery for as little as $5,000, and equally desperate patients pay forty or fifty times more for a kidney - about $200,000 or more. This phenomenon is widespread in the Middle East and Asian countries such as the Philippines, India and Pakistan - they have very rich markets. China actually sells the organs of executed prisoners, and is the only country in the world that does this. Approximately 4,500 prisoners are executed in China every year, and many experts claim that these executions are carried out precisely for the purpose of organ harvesting.
Although many people willingly part with their organs for cash, many others are lured into organ harvesting operations or forced to undergo unnecessary surgeries in which their organs are harvested from them without their knowledge. Recent studies by the World Health Organization have shown that the number of illegal operations is up to 10,000 per year, potentially making this illegal industry a multi-billion dollar black market.
7. Snake skin
The trade in python skins is supposedly very tightly controlled. The number of these animals is constantly decreasing, and the demand for their skins is constantly growing, especially in Europe, where the demand for designer bags and shoes made from python skin has skyrocketed over last years. Even in California, where the sale of python skins and parts has been illegal since the 1970s, snakeskin garments can still be found in some upscale boutiques. Apparently, some merchants are either deliberately ignoring the law or not really aware of it.
Unfortunately, the use of the skins of illegally slaughtered animals makes a lot of money for those involved in this trade, and this flourishing criminal business threatens to outgrow the legal trade in the skins of these animals. While there are regulations to combat the illegal python skin trade, and if they were followed they would be very effective, in most areas where poaching is rampant, these regulations are being ignored. As silly as it may seem, this business largely thrives on people's perception of snakes as not very pleasant creatures. However, they are one of the most important parts of their ecosystems, and now their extermination can lead to their complete extinction.
Believe it or not, the annual turnover of python skins is estimated to be about a billion dollars worldwide, with half or even more than half of this income comes from illegal trade, and criminal organizations win over an increasing part of this income every year.
6. Sperm
This is a very recent phenomenon, however, sales of human sperm over the Internet have skyrocketed in recent years. And while this may seem fairly harmless, and even beneficial for those who are having trouble conceiving, there are serious complications that lawmakers are unable to address properly.
Legitimate sperm donors go through rigorous tests to minimize genetic defects, health problems, and the like. The main problem with individuals who simply sell their sperm directly to buyers is the apparent lack of control, as the vast majority of "donors" are not medically tested and there is no way for recipients to know what they are getting. Not to mention the thousands of infectious diseases that are transmitted through human semen, and this is no joke.
While there are some laws governing the sale of sperm or eggs, many of the websites that have emerged in recent years are very difficult to prosecute because they operate undercover. social networks or dating sites that just introduce people to each other and get paid for it. Calculating the global profit of this industry for the year is not at all easy. One pair of British men were able to sell their sperm to 800 women and make over a quarter of a million pounds within a few years by offering this type of service to women.
5. Abalone or abalone
Abalone are edible sea snails known as the "pargo snapper" in Australia and the "reef king" in New Zealand. They are a delicacy in these regions, as well as in Chile, France and several Asian countries. Regulations governing their collection are either weak or non-existent almost everywhere, with the exception of South Africa, which is precisely where the problem lies.
Seafood is one of the main divisions of the South African industry and abalone is the most valuable product produced by this industry. In 1995, 615 tons of abalone were harvested in South Africa, but by 2008 the production had dropped sharply to 75 tons, and the South African government imposed a ban on abalone fishing that year, fearing the complete destruction of their population. Incredible drop in population size for such short term almost entirely due to illegal fishing, which in turn has had an impact on the economy of South Africa.
Populations have declined just as much, if not worse, in Northern California and other abalone-producing regions where the illegal trade has flourished. Authorities have begun imposing huge fines of up to $40,000 on illegal shellfish sellers, but because illegal shellfish farming has proven so lucrative, it is almost impossible to stop. Despite the fact that there is no exact data on the amount of profit from illegal trade, it can be said with certainty that the price of red abalone reaches one hundred dollars apiece.
4 Bear Organs
The gallbladder of black bears, and the bile that is extracted from them, is widely used and has been used in Asian medicine for centuries. Bear bile is allegedly a panacea for all diseases, ranging from ophthalmic diseases to cancer and AIDS, and "supposedly" is used here because medical studies have clearly shown that bear bile does not have any medicinal properties. Despite this, the illegal trade in this product continues - and its size is simply amazing.
Bears are not only hunted down to remove their gall bladders and other body parts, but illegal "bear farms" are operating in many Asian countries that look as bad as they sound. Bears are kept in small pens, fed irregularly and not allowed to hibernate. Their bile is constantly "milked" surgically, and after a certain period of time they are killed and their gallbladder is taken out.
The most incredible thing is that, despite the fact that this deplorable activity is completely illegal, the sale of its products is quite legal in many markets, including in the United States, in New York. It was recently found that 20% of markets that sell products from Asia openly sell bear bile and gall bladders. The illegal trade in bear body parts generates an incredible $2 billion annually.
3. Caviar
Most of us know two things about caviar: first, it is very expensive, and second, it is fish eggs that rich people love to eat. While the idea of black market caviar seems a little silly, there are serious consequences to such a trade - mainly to the global sturgeon population, which has declined by 90 percent since 1970 due to overfishing.
A global ban on wild caviar (as opposed to caviar from farmed sturgeons) imposed in the mid-2000s did not have the desired effect of protecting the population, and may actually have stimulated more black market sales of caviar. In 2006, the Pew Institute for Ocean Science named sturgeon "the world's most endangered wildlife resource."
The sad thing is that sturgeons lived on our planet for 200 million years, outlived the dinosaurs with whom they once shared the planet, but this phenomenon poses a serious threat to their continued existence. Of course, the demand for caviar is not going anywhere, but because of the illegal trade, which generates three-quarters of a billion dollars a year, wild sturgeon may soon disappear.
2 Liquor smuggling
In many Middle Eastern and Eastern European countries where alcohol is still banned or tightly controlled, surrogate alcohol markets are flourishing. Some of the consequences, and some of the government's means of cracking down on illegal liquor, are enough to stagger the minds of those of us who are used to having a glass of wine at dinner or a couple of beers with buddies as a matter of course.
In countries like Iran and Iraq, where liquor is illegal, alcohol production is punishable by dozens of lashes along with the standard fines and jail time. Despite this, however, the smuggled liquor market is booming so strongly that smugglers think the game is worth the candle. Moreover, the demand for alcohol in these countries is so high that the Iranian factories that produce alcohol were actually forced by the government to add a substance to it that makes alcohol too bitter, which just proved once again that people who want to get drunk will go to any lengths. risks to do so.
This trend is most horrifyingly reflected in the last two mass deaths caused by smuggled liquor in the Czech Republic (20 killed, dozens poisoned) and India (102 dead). Again, accurate annual profit data is difficult to collect due to poor reporting in these countries. However, in the US state of Virginia, where alcohol is perfectly legal, statistics show that up to $20 million is lost due to whiskey smuggling, and this is just the tip of a huge iceberg.
1. Newborn babies
In terms of global annual profits, human trafficking ranks only second only to the illicit drug trade. Nearly three-quarters of this trafficking is for what you might expect - sex, and much of the rest of the trafficking is in slave labor, but black market adoptions are also slowly becoming a major problem. In addition to unlicensed adoption agencies, as you might expect, there have been cases where adoptive parents have simply sold legally adopted children for profit.
These markets are generally unconnected but isolated and opportunistic - as is the case in southern Brazil, which has a large population of blue-eyed and blond-haired descendants of German immigrants. This area of Brazil is a kind of farm to meet the demand for just such children coming from Western countries. In Russia and other countries of Eastern Europe adoption black markets have arisen for the same reason as in Brazil - the demand for white, light-eyed children, but in China there is simply an excess of girls. They turn a blind eye to their adoption, since such a number of girls is not necessary for cultural and political reasons.
These types of black markets, which seem to be well-meaning, also contribute to the enrichment of criminal organizations that engage in various illegal activities. And, despite the fact that the trade in newborn babies is only a part of illegal human trafficking, the total profit from this trade brings criminal organizations about 32 billion dollars.
I got into the gang because of my own curiosity. But - everything is in order ...
I was born in Moscow, in the family of a military man. My father is a colonel. Upon reaching a certain age, he retired. Mother is an engineer at one of the Moscow enterprises. In addition to them, I had elder sister. That's where it all started.
Lenka was older than me by two years. She married at nineteen. Her first husband was a student classmate. After graduating from college, my husband began to work. But he did not become a reliable support for the family - he constantly walked with his friends, earned a little. They began to live poorly, often cursed, and eventually divorced. Lenka was left alone. But the loneliness did not last long. Six months later, she met a businessman who began to actively care for her. Soon he helped his sister get a job in one of the commercial firms. Lenka began to earn good money, bought one-room apartment near the house where we lived.
I often visited Lenka in the apartment, met girls there. I was eighteen years old, school was behind me, there was time before the army. I didn't know who to be or what to do. Yes, and I did not have a special desire to work. By that time, much had changed, capitalism had set in in Russia, a layer of rich people appeared who lived quite well. I was drawn to them.
And then one day Lenka introduced me to her boyfriend, Edik. He made a big impression on me. First - foreign cars, on which he came for Lenka. In addition, he dressed very well, often took Lenka to restaurants. And when he met me, he sometimes began to take me to restaurants.
At first I thought that Edik was a businessman, since he always had a lot of money. But to my questions about where exactly he works, Edik answered only one thing: in the commercial part.
Once, when I once again came to Lenka's house at a time when she was at work, and began to wander around the room, I accidentally stumbled upon a purse lying under the sofa. Opening it, I saw with horror that there was a Makarov pistol. “Strange, why does Edik need a gun?” I thought.
Soon Lenka and Edik appeared. Edik was delighted to see me. We went to the kitchen to smoke and drink coffee. That's where I asked about the purse. Lenka pretended to have no idea what kind of purse in question. But Edik behaved differently.
“My purse, I forgot it at your sister’s yesterday,” he said calmly. A few minutes later he took me out onto the balcony and asked: “Have you seen what is in this purse?”
- Yes, the gun, in my opinion, "Makarov" ...
- Exactly, Makarov. And Edik patted me on the shoulder. "And you're good with guns!"
- So who are you - a businessman?
Now I work for a security company. By the way, let's go, I'll show you my new car!
Edik's new car was a BMW 850 model, two-door, low, sporty.
– How much does this cost? I asked.
- One hundred thousand marks.
- This is your car?
- How can I tell you ... Actually, the company's car, but I use it.
Eddie soon disappeared. He was gone for about two weeks. Lenka answered all my questions - he went on a business trip.
On the fifteenth day, Edik reappeared, rumpled, with two bruises on his face. Then I had the first suspicion that something was unclean in Edik's profession. I did not dare to ask Edik himself and turned to Lenka:
- What happened to him?
“They took him to the police station. He quarreled with the traffic cops, they took him away, beat him, and even put him in jail for fifteen days. But Edik redeemed himself and left a little earlier.
Of course, I didn't believe it. What kind of showdown with the traffic police? Of course, traffic cops can create problems, but only on the road, nothing more. But to the police station for fifteen days? I assumed that Edik resisted the police officers. But the thing is, Edik doesn't drink. No, he drinks, but very little. I noticed how he behaved in a restaurant, in Lenka's apartment.
Rather, Lenka paid more attention to alcoholic beverages, so I didn’t really believe in the version of Edik’s detention by traffic cops.
The answer came by itself. One evening we decided to go for a drive. Edik, as usual, arrived in his BMW, first to my house. But at that time my mother fell ill, Lenka looked after her, and she herself felt bad. The trip has been cancelled. But I really wanted to ride around Moscow at night. Edik looked at me, smiled and said:
- Well, brother, let's go, we'll ride together!
Driving around Moscow at night was great. There are few cars, it was possible to pick up a lot of speed. The only problem is traffic cops standing on the roads. Many of them caught drunk drivers. Every few kilometers our car was stopped. Suddenly, Edik slammed on the brakes.
- What happened? I asked.
- Trouble. Is it all happening again? Edik said angrily.
- What is repeated?
- Traffic cops are standing with the cops.
I saw that two police cars were standing in front, on one the inscription "PMG", on the other - "GAI". Edik slowed down and, suddenly turning to me, said:
- Listen, I have two trunks in my purse. Of course they are legal since I'm a security guard, but I can't wear them after hours. Can you stick them to yourself or at least hold them?
“Of course,” I nodded.
Eddie looked at me intently.
“Do you know what will happen if you find them?” - he asked. - You will go under the article.
- I'll get out somehow! I'm still eighteen years old.
Edik smiled.
- Well, brother, you give!
Soon we were stopped by traffic cops. Edik was right. The car was inspected. I got out of the car, pressing Edik's purse to my side with my left hand. Having seized the moment when the cops were inspecting the car, I quietly tucked my purse under my belt. The police officers examined the trunk, under the seats, checked the first-aid kit, which was lying behind, and the bag with tools. They were looking for something. Suddenly, one policeman approached Edik very close.
- We just arrested him! - pointing to Edik, he turned to his colleagues. - This is a bandit from the Koptev group!
Edik became indignant:
- What grouping? What kind of bandit am I? Guys, you are confusing something! I came from Arkhangelsk! Check out my documents. Here's my passport.
The policeman smiled.
- Come on! What, we don't know that your countrymen go under the Koptevs? Everyone knows this.
- Yes, you are confusing something! Edik tried to protest. But the police paid no attention to him.
“Let's take a closer look again,” one policeman said.
Seizing the moment, I stepped aside. I don't know if it was luck or the cops just forgot about me, as all attention was paid to Edik and his car. Edik stood with his legs apart, leaning his hands on the hood. He was searched by one of the policemen. The rest of the car was inspected for the second time. But the search was unsuccessful.
- Okay, go for a walk, until next time! - said the elder of the policemen and patted Edik on the shoulder.
We soon moved off.
- And you're not a kid, you're not crazy! Eddie told me.
We drove up to the Eldorado restaurant. Putting the car in the parking lot, Edik invited me to a restaurant.
“Tell me honestly, are you still scared?” he smiled.
- I'm not afraid of anything!
“But you had two pistols!”
Nothing, everything was very fast. Yes, and I got into the excitement, I could not stop myself.
- In-in, - Edik grinned, - it often happens to me too. But you, boy, well done! Stand firmly on your feet!
- Edik, tell me honestly, are you really a bandit? I decided to ask.
Edik paused, moved the glass on the table towards him, and slowly began to draw orange juice from it.
- Well, what can I say ... It depends on who calls you a bandit. We are not bandits. We don't like this word. Of course, I don't work for a security firm. More precisely, we have our own company, and we kind of provide security services. But if you call everything by its proper name, then we are a family. We, as they say in the films, are the mafia, but in a good sense of the word. We protect our people, who work with us, and do not give offense to them. Therefore, I did not have the right to substitute myself this evening, since we have a very important event planned for tomorrow.
We got to talking, and Edik began to answer my questions. And I was interested in many things - what they do, what kind of life they have, how much money he receives. In another situation, Edik would not have answered. But at that moment, when I helped him out and everything was put in its place, Edik gave truthful answers. But he left some. For example, the question of whether they are engaged in contract killings, Edik ignored and said after that:
“Look, boy, I think you ask too many questions.
Thus the evening passed.
For two or three days I only thought about the work that Edik was doing. Now I already knew that Edik was getting a lot of money. In addition, he can use any machine, of course, with the permission of his senior comrades, as he said. And they had a lot of cars. And the work was not dusty, as I understand it. I really wanted to get into the team where Edik worked, and I gradually began to persuade him.
At first, Edik reacted negatively to my requests:
- What are you, boy, don't talk nonsense! Will you join the army or study... Why do you need it?
But I didn't fall behind.
Three days later, at barbecues outside the city, I again raised the same question.
“You got me,” Edik answered. “Of course I can recommend you. And most likely they will take you. But you understand, if you enter to us, then you will not be able to leave on your own. We do not accept applications for own will. Do you understand it?
- So what?
In the end, I had my own calculation. I knew perfectly well that I could last a year. Even if something goes wrong, then in a year I will be drafted into the army. And I can't refuse the army. The reason is valid.
Eddie gave up. The next day he called me and said:
Romka, are you ready for the interview?
- Of course! I replied.
"Then I'll follow you."
Twenty minutes later, Edik, dressed in an ordinary suit and tie, drove up to my house.
“Only this,” Edik put his hand on my shoulder, “let’s agree that, no matter how it was, I didn’t drag you to us. You asked for it.
- Who is this for?
- For Lenka, for your parents... However, that's how it is, isn't it? Edik looked at me seriously.
– Of course it is.
Soon we headed to the center of Moscow. Edik wandered along the alleys for a long time, glancing back from time to time. Finally, he stopped the car and, taking his mobile phone, dialed a number.
"We're on our way, we'll be there in five minutes," he said. - How is everything calm there?
Probably, having received an affirmative answer, Edik put the phone in his pocket and taxied to the parking lot. I noticed that in the parking lot, next to which there was a small cafe, there were several cars in which guys of a strong constitution were sitting the same age as Edik.
Edik got out of the car, I followed him. He began to greet many guys, hug and kiss some of them. “Here it is, the mafia,” I thought, “here are the bandits ...” I began to peer into everyone. Nothing special, ordinary people, guys like me. The only thing is more restrained.
Finally, Edik led me towards the cafe. In front of the entrance, on a bench, sat another guy. He had a radio in his hands. Seeing Edik, the guy immediately said loudly so that Edik could hear:
- Hello, Ilya, Barmaley showed up here, with some kind of fraer ...
After listening to the answer, the guy answered briefly:
Got it, skip it.
He held out his hand to Edik and greeted him. Eddie patted me on the shoulder and said:
- It's with me.
"Come on," the boy waved his hand.
- Why are you called Barmaley? I asked Edik.
- My last name is similar to this nickname. That's what friends call it, as a joke. In general, we have strict discipline. We are all for each other. All in all, united family. I will now introduce you to a person who will decide whether they will take you or not.
- Is he the most important? I asked.
“Listen, lad,” Edik interrupted me, “let’s ask fewer questions, otherwise, I’m afraid, the exam won’t take place.”
I realized that the less you say, the more you will be appreciated.
“But still, who is it?”
- He is not a senior, he is our foreman. There are older ones above him. But this is the first step. The main thing is to talk less.
"Okay," I nodded my head.
Soon we entered an almost deserted cafe. Three people were seated at a table at the end of the hall. I singled out the brigadier immediately. He was overweight, silent, with a serious face, something like a fish. The haircut was very short, almost to zero. He was wearing a gray jacket and a black shirt. Sitting next to him were two younger and leaner guys. On the table were two small radios and several mobile phones. The brigadier drank tea and cake.
Edik pointed to the next table, where there was no one, and said:
“Sit down for a while, and I’ll go and talk.”
He approached the people sitting at the next table and began to whisper about something. The foreman nodded as he listened. A few minutes later, the guys who were sitting with the foreman got up and moved to the next table. Eddie called me.
I sat down at the table. Ilya Rybin, nicknamed Ryba, who was a foreman, later framed me, brought me under the death sentence. But at first everything was fine. He shook hands with me and asked me to sit down. He asked if I wanted something to drink. I refused.
- Maybe some tea? - he said.
A few minutes later, the waitress placed a tray in front of me, on which stood cups, sugar, a plate of cakes, a teapot.
“Try it, I advise you - tea with chamomile,” said Rybin in the voice of an expert. “Or do you still want something stronger to drink?”
“No, I don’t drink,” I said.
"That's right," Rybin nodded approvingly. - We have a dry law here. We are fighting against drunkenness, or rather, we are exterminating it. We shouldn't have it. Understood me?
I nodded my head.
- Barmaley for me ... that is, Edik, said that you want to be with us?
I nodded again.
“Did you think well, boy?
- Yes OK. I want to be with you.
- What do we do, you know?
I shrugged.
- Edik didn't tell me anything... But I can guess.
– And what do you guess?
Now I began to think about how I should call these people - bandits, mafia ...
I understand that you are family. Help people and don't let yourself get hurt.
“You understand correctly,” Rybin smiled. Apparently, he liked my definition very much. - We live by the principle - we do not need someone else's, but we will not give up our own. it good principle. Well, now let's talk about yourself. Is it true that your father is a colonel?
I briefly told my biography. Then I did not know that they planned to hire me as a supply manager. All the guys there were newcomers, none of them had a Moscow residence permit, and for some actions they needed a Moscow residence permit. So they decided to hire me as a quartermaster, supply manager - to register mobile phones for me, to do something else. In general, I had to be for the first time a freight forwarder in the grouping.
After a short conversation, Rybin said that in principle I suit him, but they take me on a probationary period. And they gave me a salary of five hundred dollars a month for the first time. Excellent salary! Try to earn that kind of money anywhere!
– What should be done? I asked.
“Nothing special,” said the brigadier. - Tomorrow you will go to the Bee Line, to the office, buy twelve phones. And he pulled out a wad of dollars from his side pocket. - There are ten of them. You will arrange, you will bring change.
- How can I find you? I asked.
Buy yourself a pager. We will communicate through pagers or mobile phones. You can find out all the details from Edik. And here's what I want to tell you. We have a very strict discipline. If you are given a task, then it must be completed one hundred percent. We do not accept any cancellations. Violations of discipline are severely punished. In short, Edik will tell you everything. Now consider yourself hired. - And Fish extended his hand to me in parting. - Come on, hold on, kid, maybe after probationary period you will become a brother!
So I was recruited into the group.
The first task was to buy mobile phones. I went and spent half a day in the office mobile communications, where he issued more than a dozen contracts. The paperwork girl looked at me with surprised eyes. For the first time she saw a man who is going to talk on ten phones at the same time.
Then I brought the purchase and reported. The fish was pleased. He immediately wrote down who needed to distribute mobile phones, and handed everything over to Edik. Edik knew the guys well. Ryb wrote down the numbers of all the phones. He left one of his cell phones. It seemed to me that this device was intended for me. But then I realized that this mobile phone was left for Pisces' mistress. I became the owner of a small black box - a pager.
My next task was to rent several apartments for the guys. I already knew that all members of the group live on rented apartments, usually two or three people, and each chooses for himself with whom he will live. But sometimes, due to circumstances, Pisces or other elders determined who would live with whom.
One of the main conditions was that the apartments must be issued on my passport. The first step in each apartment was to turn off the phone. At the time I didn't know what it was for. It seemed very strange to me. All telephones were stacked in my apartment.
One day, Fish asked if I wanted to live separately from my parents. I nodded my head in the affirmative.
- So look after yourself with whom you will live. We all live with someone other than Vitka. By the way, you and Vitka will work in the same team.
How is it in the brigade? I was surprised. - I'm like a quartermaster ...
– And we decided to check you in the case. But the work does not beat the recumbent. One sucker needs to be led. More precisely ... - Fish realized that I still do not understand their criminal slang, and said: - We need to follow one businessman. He owes us money. And your partner will be Vityukha. Edik will introduce you to him. Tomorrow at ten in the morning drive up to the cinema "Drummer". And don't be late!
Exactly at ten in the morning next day I was near the Drummer. Edik drove up in a cherry "nine" with tinted windows. Behind the wheel sat a guy, tall, fair-haired. I approached the car. Edik got out of the car, the guy behind him.
- Brothers, get acquainted. This is Romka, consider my relative.
Recently, Edik began to live with my sister in her apartment and therefore called me his relative.
Edik turned and walked to the parking lot, where another car was waiting for him. I got into the BMW and left.
- Do you really live in Moscow? Vitek asked me.
- Yes true.
“And your father is a colonel?”
- Yes, or rather, he was a colonel, now retired.
What army did your father serve in? Vitek asked.
- He taught at the academy, and before that he served in Germany as a tanker.
- Clear. How long have you been living in Moscow?
- I was born here.
- And I've been here for two years and moved my wife. My wife's name is Vika. Where do you live in Moscow?
I gave my address.
He compiled a list of the largest criminal industries in the world - from drug trafficking to illegal oil pumping. The recent theft of works by Picasso and Matisse for $125 million from the Paris Museum contemporary arts drew worldwide attention to the illegal trade in works of art industry, the magazine writes. The FBI estimates that the business of illegally selling and buying stolen art brings in a total of about $6 billion to criminals. different countries peace.
But the drug trade, as it turned out, brings in up to $ 300 billion, which provided it with the first place in the list of the largest criminal industries. The smuggling of cocaine, marijuana, heroin and other drugs continues to enrich drug lords despite the efforts of governments around the world.
The drug trade has given rise to a host of political problems in addition to being a major global industry, providing funding for violent groups such as the Taliban and the drug cartels that now threaten stability in countries such as Afghanistan and Mexico.
The significance of the role of the drug trade in some states was recently vividly illustrated by the destabilization in Jamaica, where the whole country was stirred up in a single outburst of protest when the authorities tried to arrest the island's chief drug lord, Christopher Coke.
Moreover, writes Forbes, this is not the only criminal business that brings in billions of dollars annually and continues to actively develop in circumvention of the laws of different countries. Moreover, these criminal enterprises are embracing new technologies and taking advantage of globalization.
The exact volume of such industries can only be estimated with a certain degree of approximation, but it is hard to deny that they have a huge impact on modern society and are reflected in the economy. And although the scale and prevalence of global criminal networks is striking, there are some reasons for optimism, the magazine writes.
Law enforcement agencies of different countries are learning to cooperate in the fight against international crime and are also resorting to new technologies: programs that track money laundering, tags on goods that allow you to find stolen goods, and tracking tools to find criminals.
The largest criminal industries in the world:
drugs
Approximate volume: $300 billion
The leader among criminal businesses, according to rough estimates by the UN Office on Crime and Drugs, brings about $ 300 billion a year. Some experts consider these figures to be too high.
counterfeit products
Approximate volume: $250 billion
The world is flooded with fakes, from fake soda labeled with Pepsi to infringing discs and high-tech products like drugs and microprocessors. According to the World Customs Organization, counterfeit products account for 5% to 7% of world trade.
Illegal arms trade
Approximate volume: unknown
One can only guess about the size of the illegal arms market. In addition, it is difficult to determine the point at which the sale of small-caliber weapons becomes illegal. At the same time, the illicit arms trade fuels civil wars and worries organizations fighting terrorism, especially when it comes to nuclear warheads.
Cigarettes
Approximate volume: $30 billion
Every year, 600 billion cigarettes are smuggled around the world. Of all legal goods, cigarettes are most often smuggled. In most cases, this smuggling is the result of high taxes, which in some countries are used as part of the fight against smoking.
Cargo theft
Approximate volume: $30 billion
Cargo stolen can include anything from suits and microprocessors to frozen shrimp and toilet paper. Often such crimes are carried out without the use of violence during transit. The countries most at risk of interception are the United States, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, India and the United Kingdom.
Human trafficking
Approximate volume: $28 billion
This unfortunate type of business includes various forms modern slavery, sexual exploitation or the use of stolen organs. This criminal business is one of the fastest growing.
Oil theft
Approximate volume: billions of dollars
Shell estimated that about 100,000 barrels of oil were stolen every day in Nigeria last year. The losses from this at that time were estimated at $ 1.6 billion a year.
Trade in stolen art
Approximate volume: $6 billion
Less well-known stolen works of art are secretly sold, more famous ones are offered to be returned by museums for a ransom. Security in museums and galleries is often not vigilant enough, so the main problem for kidnappers is how to get money for what they have stolen.
Illegal trade in animal products
Approximate volume: $5 billion
This includes the global trade in ivory or exotic animals, caviar, rhinoceros horn and other illegal wildlife products.
I almost read it -))Another area of criminal activity of the TOP DV is considered to be illegal car business. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that we are talking about the secondary car market, that is, the sale of foreign-made cars after three or more years of operation. At the same time, cars without mileage in Russia and the CIS countries are valued. This market is directly connected with nearby foreign countries, primarily Japan, China, South Korea. It is part of a single illegal car market, which is transnational in nature. As a result of the economic laws of the market, domestic vehicles in the Far East have been almost completely replaced by foreign cheap cars.
In fact, from such a car business in the early 90s, the process of initial accumulation of capital began for many leaders of local criminal groups and corrupt officials of various bodies and departments. Sailors, fishermen, employees of government agencies and institutions, tourists and other categories of the population in droves began to bring cars from these countries for themselves, relatives and friends, as well as for sale at reduced rates. A significant part of imported cars is sold by issuing a so-called general power of attorney with the right, after two years, through a sales contract, to an authorized person to register a car for himself. Moreover, the main payment for the car is made not through the store, but directly by the buyer and the seller of the car with an underestimation of the size of all kinds of payments to the budget.
Almost simultaneously with the unorganized trade in such cars, criminal structures began to create specialized official firms and organizedly transport cars and sell them on the domestic Russian market or the CIS countries. In addition, such an auto business began to be created jointly with foreign partners. In particular, the aforementioned gang of Larionovs in 1991 on the basis of Vostokrybkholodflot (VRHF), and now - Vostoktransflot, together with a Japanese citizen Hiratake Izumi created a joint company called Keyavto. For several years, the company has been supplying cars from Japan to Russia. At the same time, double contracts were drawn up with different prices for the car. In 1993 alone, the difference in prices for this company amounted to 750 thousand dollars. Hiratake was involved in the transfer of money from the Larionov brothers to foreign bank accounts. It was not the only criminal group in the Far East engaged in such a car business.
Those Years (1994) Russian press it was even reported about the arrest of a group of Japanese swindlers in Japan itself, specializing in the sale of cars for the Russian market. In connection with the charge of fraud, a certain Yoshio Fukasawa, the president of Fukasawa Jidosha, was arrested ( Maintenance cars), Tsudoi Eguchi, president of Jeep Land (car sales), and Norio Shimagaki, president of Shimagaki Jidosha (car sales). The investigation revealed that since 1990, Fukasawa allegedly carried out technical inspections of cars sold by Eguchi and Shimagaki to Russian sailors, and issued an appropriate certificate for their export clearance through the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry of Japan. At the same time, he illegally received 4,000 yen for each car from the branch of the Automobile Control Association in Niigata. In the time before Fukasawa's arrest, more than 200 vehicles passed through his firm every year. In addition to money from the association, Fukasawa received 5,000 yen per car from Eguchi and Shimagaki for selling cars with falsified documents.
In 1997, another international scandal erupted: the official representative of the Japanese police announced the defeat of the organized crime group, which traded in the theft of cars of prestigious brands commissioned by Russian businessmen. The gang operated in 9 major prefectures in Japan. According to the Japanese newspaper Tokyo Shimbun, 30 Japanese citizens were charged with stealing about 600 cars worth more than $25 million, according to police. The organization of car theft was headed by former head known largest criminal group in Japan "Yamaguchi" Omoeda, whose office was in Toyama. Here he received orders for cars from Russian organized crime groups, and then passed this information on to trusted persons in the ports where Russian ships called. By their arrival, hundreds of cars were waiting for buyers at specialized parking lots. Among them were "ordered". According to a representative of the Department of Internal Affairs of Primorsky Krai, there were no facts of sale in Russia of cars stolen in Japan.
But after creating Russian branch Interpol in the Far East such a fact appeared. There has never been such a case in the history of state relations between Japan and Russia. It all started in 1999 in Japan, when a car "Toyota Mark-2" in good condition was stolen from a law-abiding Japanese man. technical condition. The hijacking was carried out by one of the criminal groups from among immigrants from the Middle East. - Pakistanis or Iranians who specialize in hijacking. The car was driven to West Coast Japan to one of the ports, where after some time it was sold to a regular customer from Russia. Even before the ship arrived at the port of Vladivostok, Interpol knew about the stolen car. The fate of the car and the interests of the Japanese and Russian owners are considered by the Russian court.
A well-established system of deliveries of stolen cars from Japan to Russia, according to some estimates, made it possible to steal over 1,000 cars. For involvement in this business in Fukuoka, Toyama and seven other prefectures in Japan, 55 people were arrested.
A lot of people “feed” on the highly profitable illegal car business: from unemployed sailors, “tourists” and criminal gangs to government officials of various ministries and departments involved in paperwork, issuing various permits, controlling the import, registration and sale of cars on both sides of the State Border.
The modern auto business in the Far East seems to be legal in form, but in essence it is completely criminalized. It must be said that most of the actions of a car dealer in Russia and abroad are in conflict with the current legislation not only in Russia, but also in foreign countries. Therefore, the auto business of the Far East is a criminal phenomenon of a transnational nature.
According to our observations, a certain mechanism of transnational criminal activity in the field of secondary auto business has developed, which is as follows. Criminal or near-criminal structures themselves, or other structures and individuals under their cover, officially open a network of car shops, parking lots, car markets, car dealerships, car services, gas stations, auto dismantling to work with cars.
Almost all well-known organized crime groups in the port cities of the Far East have a privately owned, directly or through nominee, similar auto network. It is a necessary link in the criminal chain of the international auto business of the countries participating in the secondary economic automotive market. Therefore, the price of a car also includes the price for the risk of exposing the illegal actions of the owners or employees of these economic entities, which are hidden from unauthorized persons. Unfortunately, the probability of detecting, fixing, proving and bringing to court the perpetrators of these actions in Russia is minimal.
Part of this mechanism was the right to communicate with foreign partners in the illegal auto business of the DV organized crime group, won during the criminal wars with Siberian, Moscow and other organized crime groups.
The Far East region has essentially turned into a transit territory, where certain segments of the population are involved in the illegal auto business. Approximately a quarter of the population of port cities is somehow connected with these businesses. Through their efforts, more than 80% of the imported volume of vehicles through the Far East is transported to the European part of the country, the CIS countries and the Baltic states.
For this purpose, about 20% of wholesale buyers from these countries and regions work in the car market. Directly to foreign countries for cars, they are not allowed. Buyers are “explained” how economically unprofitable and dangerous to their life or health is. For greater persuasiveness, they “lose” the money intended for the purchase of cars, after which only a few months later they return home without money and cars. In the best case, even when they appear abroad, they do not have the opportunity to go ashore and visit car dealerships or meet with local car dealers and buy the right car. After that, they return back to the Russian port, where they purchase cars at the offered price.
The remaining 20% of cars from the total imported volume is bought directly by local residents. This category of the population is organized and structured. Horizontally, they are connected by kinship-family or corporate (by departments and manufacturing industries) connections. Vertically, they are connected with local organized crime groups through an auto-network, or directly with wholesale buyers. In the second case, the material benefit is more tangible. Such communication, as a rule, is carried out under the guise of a “red roof”, that is, under the protection of corrupt employees from administrative authorities or law enforcement agencies, in particular. This is especially evident from the parked cars near the buildings of the relevant state institutions or at the place of residence of their officials, in places where the so-called elite houses are located.
Delivery of buyers abroad is also a specialized part of a single international criminal car business. To this end, under the guise of appropriate official and unofficial structures, a whole network of several hundred travel companies specializing in sea cruises. The main "tourists" of such firms are car dealers. Most of these dealers are a sailor who fits into the crew list ( staffing ship) with a travel voucher and documentary justification. They buy places for cars on the ship. On average, two to three crews are registered on one vessel, recorded for one crew list.
Relevant officials turn a blind eye to this for a certain remuneration. For a few hundred dollars, a sailor's passport can also be bought, for which there is an exemption to buy a car at a lower price. Or the dealer, for a fee, draws up documents for the purchase of a car for a member of the official crew.
Up to thirty car dealers are recruited on one vessel. A voucher, for example, to Japan costs between $220 and $350 for one car seat on the ship. A car dealer's personal income per car can range from $300 to $3,000. One dealer buys from 2-3 to several dozen car spaces. About ten ships participate in such a voyage daily. Flights operate daily and all year round. Every crew from the sailor to the captain of the ship and the captain of the port is in some way “earning money” on car deals.
The next part of the mechanism of the illegal car business consists of the process of buying a used car abroad and delivering it to Russia. As noted above, this business in Japan is entirely in the hands of the borekudan. In order to have a significant material benefit from the trade in used cars, it is necessary to engage in all sorts of dubious transactions bordering on violation of the law up to car theft, which in all countries of the world are subject to criminal law. Therefore, illegal immigrants or “professionals” in the illegal auto business often go to such work. Many owners or managers of companies selling old cars, in particular in Japan, come from Pakistan, Iran and even Russia. There are managers, auto dealers specially invited from Vladivostok, with a long record of work in the illegal auto business.
The main document for registering and selling a car is a document issued by customs. Therefore, the main link in the mechanism of the international illegal auto business lies in the field of customs clearance, which is heavily guarded by the TOP. In this regard, this link is the most corrupt.
If customs is less corrupt, then ships, people and vehicles are checked with special care. Then the fact of illegal import of the car comes to light. If the entire customs structure is corrupt, then checks are not even carried out. Moreover, the issues of inspections are resolved for more high level than one or another customs post.
The Japanese secondary car market is largely formed by orders from Russian dealers. The order may include any applications of future car owners: from the year of manufacture to the color of the upholstery of the car. A personalized order is usually made for expensive brands of imported cars according to high prices. Such OPF TOP cars are stolen both in Japan for the “new Russians”, and in European countries for the “new Chinese”.
By the way, Mercedes and BMW cars are sent to China, which are preferred by criminal authorities in Russia. In Japanese ports with a small population, where all the relevant structures are corrupt, there are warehouses with secret basements in which stolen expensive cars are stored. On a special elevator, the selected car rises from the basement and is delivered directly to the deck of the vessel without any registration. In Russia, the necessary customs and other documents are freely issued to them.
In the sale and purchase of such a car, the role of the dealer is reduced to its simple support. If the dealer wants to “make money” on any other dubious car, then he crosses out the old and enters new information about the car (changes the year of manufacture to a later one or the engine size to a larger one, etc.). If the ship is mainly loaded with such dubious cars, then on command from “above” (official or criminal) it goes to the “necessary” port with the “necessary” customs. These tend to be remote ports with few customs offices in small towns or cities where family and corrupt ties create strong corporate protections from any kind of justice.The criminal group, which consisted of customs officials and entrepreneurs, was identified by the Primorsky Territory Prosecutor's Office. The criminal community was headed by the head of one of the departments of the Far Eastern Operational Customs, Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Starovoitov. In one bundle with him were customs officers and several businessmen.
Back in March 2004, the internal security service of the Far Eastern Customs Administration (DVTU) during a scheduled inspection revealed violations in the activities of the Vladivostok motor transport customs post. The materials on this case were transferred to the prosecutor's office, which gave it publicity. The customs officers had to urgently hold a press conference, at which the head of the organizational and inspection service of the Far Eastern Technical University, Vladimir Gavrilov, clarified.
In fact, during the audit, another scheme for the import of cars with an underestimated customs payment was made public. This time, passenger buses Toyota Hi Ace 1996-2000 were hit. release. These buses were registered as passenger-and-freight buses, in total 119 facts of such a violation were found. As a result, the state budget did not receive about 22 million rubles. customs payments, about $ 6 thousand for one car. The channel operated for quite a long time, at least throughout 2003 and until the spring of 2004, during which time more than 120 thousand cars were registered at the Vladivostok motor transport post.The Sakhalin transport prosecutor's office detained Igor Galushko, head of the customs inspection department of the Korsakov post (Sakhalin region). As RIA "Vostok-Media" was informed in the press service of the regional prosecutor's office, he was charged with smuggling and official forgery. According to investigators, the reason for initiating a criminal case was the fact of illegal movement in November 2005 of a 1997 Mitsubishi Delica car across the customs border of the Russian Federation, using forged documents. The car was designed as a cargo "Mitsubishi Canter". At the beginning of March, a criminal case was already initiated against Igor Galushko on a similar crime.
According to the Department of Internal Affairs of Primorsky Krai, the smuggling of stolen Japanese cars to Russia has become one of the most common types of criminal business. Moreover, local authorities are convinced that the surge in illegal imports was the result of measures taken by the government to restrict the import of used foreign cars into our country. In turn, the Japanese police are reacting more and more harshly to this.
On September 17, 2003, in the port of Otaru on the island of Hokkaido, the captain of the Russian vessel "Leningradskaya" A. Zelenev and 5 crew members were arrested. Seafarers have been charged with smuggling cars stolen in Japan to Russia. The police have already filed charges against the cargo ship's crew.
The ship was detained in the territorial waters of Japan two weeks ago by the ships of the maritime security department. According to the Japanese police, in August 2003 they were convicted of trying to export two cars from Japan that had not passed customs control. One of these cars, according to investigators, was previously stolen in the city of Sapporo. The police, using surveillance cameras, recorded the loading of a Toyota Land Cruiser jeep on board five and a half hours after receiving a signal about the car theft. Investigators suspect the detainees of involvement in an organized international criminal group that is engaged in hijacking and transporting high-class Japanese cars to Russia.
It is worth noting that this is not the first case of detention of crew members of Russian ships on suspicion of smuggling stolen cars. On July 9, 2003, on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, Semyon Yagarov, the captain of the Russian cargo ship Epsilon-1, Semyon Yagarov, and another crew member were arrested while trying to load four cars that were listed as stolen along with a batch of used tires. Earlier, the Niigata court sentenced Russian Alexander Ratnikov to 1.5 years in prison for car theft. Recall also that in 2002 in Japan there was a series of arrests Russian citizens on suspicion of car theft. So, in the city of Takayama, three Russian citizens, including one sailor, were detained on suspicion of stealing cars. As the police established, they stole two Honda SUVs from the hotel parking lot, and another one from the apartment building. A week before, 6 Russian car thieves were arrested, who, according to the authorities, stole expensive cars and sold them to Russia. In total, those arrested are suspected of 125 thefts, and the amount stolen is estimated at 300 million yen (about $3 million). At the time, the authorities said that among the detainees there was one "gangster from Shizuoka Prefecture" and "a used car dealer from Fukushima Prefecture." It is known that the cars were transported through the port of Ohanama, where Russian ships often call with Far East.
Most of the Japanese cars brought from Japan to Russia are sold to residents of the Far East, but we are talking about used and inexpensive cars.
According to the Japanese press, if a few years ago our bandits used the services of local hijackers in Japan, now they often act independently. At the same time, for the Japanese police investigating such cases, there is an insurmountable barrier in the form of the state border. The Russians involved in car smuggling leave Japan before detectives get on their trail. "The bosses of international crime groups are outside of Japan," said one of the leaders of the Otaru Police Department. In November 2000, the police of the Japanese prefecture of Aichi put two Russians on the wanted list - Igor Saygouchinsky and Ivan Starostin, whom they call "leaders of the Russian mafia." They are accused of buying up stolen property, including stolen cars, and smuggling it into Russia. Police allege that the Russians colluded with the president of one of the local firms, Nobuo Takemura, and subsequently headed a powerful crime syndicate that operated mainly on the island of Hokkaido, which is closest to Russia. According to the Japanese authorities, Russian criminals came to Japan at least three times from Sakhalin. During the investigation of this case, 30 people have already been arrested.
So far, only one case is known, when a car stolen in Japan and taken to Russia was returned to the owner. On August 20, 2003, employees of the Far Eastern Operational Customs returned to the insurance company Sony Insurance Inc a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado jeep stolen in Sapporo. It was possible to bring this case to court only because the insurance company promptly sent an application for the return of the car and the originals of all documents confirming the right of ownership to the Far Eastern Customs. Due to the lack of these papers, most of the cases initiated by customs officers in such situations could not be investigated to the end. Recently, Japanese border guards have begun to cooperate more actively with Russian law enforcement agencies in an attempt to cut off channels for the transfer of stolen cars.Illegal auto business. To combat it, Russia has already created a single computer database of all cars: either on the domestic and international wanted list, or smuggled in and not passed the legal “relaxation” at the border, listed as stolen, etc.. Such a measure turned out to be not superfluous. Car theft in Japan put on solid foundation have taken on a huge scale.
In March 2001, Japanese law enforcement authorities detained an international gang created by two Russians, which included 38 Japanese and one Pakistani. The gang accounted for 744 stolen cars. In Japan, more than 600,000 cars are stolen annually, over 60% of which end up in the UAE and Russia. Many organized crime groups, together with Japanese criminal groups, have established channels for the supply of such vehicles to Russia, and through Russia to China, Europe and America.
In October 2001, the Japanese authorities in Hokkaido detained the Russian ship "PTR-03", which was illegally exporting three brand new passenger car. In the port of Ishikari, where the ship was loaded with seafood, cars were secretly loaded onto a refrigerator, after which it tried to escape, but was detained by Japanese patrol boats.
October 11, 2002 at the border and customs clearance STR "Solnechnogorsk" in the port of Nakhodka, four jeeps "Toyota Land Cruiser Prado" were found, which were stolen in the Otaru Prefecture of Japan from October 4 to 6 of the same year. The captain of the ship admitted in court that he constantly received $ 100 from the criminal structures of Russia for each transported car. A year earlier, in March, in the port of Fushiki, Japanese authorities detained a ship flying a Cambodian flag, but with a Russian crew and eight stolen Japanese 1998-99 jeeps. production.
Business with human face caucasian nationality
It's no secret that business in Moscow has a bright national coloring. Moreover, not rarely criminal. It is enough to leave the house and walk to the nearest market to make sure that it is at the mercy of the Caucasians or the Chinese with the Vietnamese. However, the markets are just a modest and by no means the most profitable tip of the iceberg. Shopping at a large supermarket or newfangled mega malls, filling up a car with gas, dining at a restaurant or buying washing machine on credit, few people think about what particular national diaspora’s pocket their money goes into…
By and large, the collapse of the USSR did not divide the nationalities that inhabited its wide expanses. Representatives of almost all nationalities live and earn money in Moscow. Moreover, there have long been entire diasporas and clans that have divided almost all areas of business.
And so - Chechens and Ossetians are in the first most profitable places. Representatives of these mountain diasporas, who have chosen the Moscow hills, own the gambling business, for example, Moscow casinos, as well as gas station chains. In addition to gas stations, Chechens occupy a place in the auto business, for example, the Moscow bureau of Audi is headed by Oscar Ahmedov. Moreover, it is clear that little can compare with the profitability of oil business. In addition, a Chechen, in particular Umar Dzhabrailov, owns the hotel business - the Plaza group. For example, this group includes the Rossiya Hotel, as well as a number of other 2 and 3 star hotels. Another well-known Chechen businessman Ruslan Baisarov. He is vice president of the Moscow Fuel Company, which owns more than 100 gas stations in the capital and the region. Although the company is part of the CTK holding, most of whose shares are owned by the Moscow government, Baisarov is said to be worth $200 million in business circles, however, it is not known what this amount consists of. It is impossible to ignore such a person as Kaek Saidullaev, who is considered the wealthiest Chechen in Moscow. His personal fortune is estimated at $500 million. He owns the Milan concern, the most famous brainchild of which is the Russian Lotto group of companies. Also, in addition to RL, Saydullaev's empire includes restaurants, beauty salons, research and production companies, and a center for building technologies.
However, the Chechens have to share warm niches with another mountain people - with the Ossetians, who also own casinos and gas stations. Also, such a product dearly loved by Muscovites as beer was also not ignored by the Ossetian diaspora. The Baltika Brewing Company is run by an Ossetian team led by Teimuraz Bolloev. But the plant "Stepan Razin" belongs to the Georgian family of Gvichia. Also, the owner of the Khamovniki brewery is Naskid Sarishvili.
Armenians are busy in show business. For example, producing (A. Okopov ORT). Also medical business(plastic surgery - Akopyan), food industry (V. Okopov), transportation and car services.
Azerbaijanis are mainly engaged in trade. It is believed that the entire flower business belongs to them. In addition, such large stores as Crocus City, Crocus Mall, "Your House" belong to Agalarov. The Moscow-Efes Brewery, which produces beer brands such as Efes Pilsner and Stary Melnik, is under Azerbaijani-Turkish control. Analysts of the Azerbaijani magazine "Monitor" calculated that 12% of the working capital of Azerbaijanis falls on industry, 20% - on trade, 23% - on banking structures and 38% - on criminal business. The total turnover of money earned by Azerbaijanis in Russia is $25 billion. Also, according to intelligence agencies, 35% of the capital's drug market is controlled by Azerbaijani groups.
In general, trade is the most common area of activity of national diasporas - Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Georgians, Turks (Ramstore supermarket chain). True, the same Tajiks prefer the more profitable criminal trade in heroin. Of the peoples of Central Asia, there are still Kazakhs in Moscow, who, in addition to trade, are engaged in business related to IT technologies and printing.
Jews occupy a special place among the national diasporas. In any case, in the field of trade, they took away all the exclusives, for example, Mercury and the fashionable shops of Tretyakovskiy proezd (the Lvov brothers). Moreover, legally, these stores have nothing in common with each other. In addition, many Internet sites are under Jewish control, such as port.ru, which has over 1.7 million registered visitors and over 250,000 daily visitors. The owner is Evgeny Goland. He also owns mail.ru, as well as a large information server Rusnews.
Tatars are involved in the alcohol trade (the empire of R. Tariko), as well as in the banking business, especially in lending.
The main thing that should be alarming is that the clannishness of business in itself is a dangerous phenomenon. The fact is that the medieval clan principle was transformed and took root perfectly in modern realities. At the present time, teips of merchants, teips of bandits, and even teips of policemen are appearing and functioning smoothly at the present time, working with each other at the level of a well-established system. Everywhere are placed their people, everyone works for the benefit of the common cause. In extreme situations, they unite and work together to solve problems. Moreover, all foreign ethnic groups are aware of their commonality. At any moment they are ready to help each other. All these facts pose no small danger to the economy not only of Moscow, but of Russia as a whole.
