Loosely connected criminal organizations and networks originating and operating in Ukraine, involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, money laundering, extortion, and corruption. They emerged in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, initially participating in illicit arms trafficking. Their influence extends into legitimate businesses and politics, with operations in Europe, North America, and Israel.
CRIMENET has extracted 10 linkages for this organization, including 6 cooperative ties across 4 organizations, 4 conflicts across 3 organizations and footprints in 11 countries.
Ukrainian criminal organizations were also alleged to have trafficked weapons to war-torn places such as Afghanistan.
it has since established most of its headquarters in cities such as New York City, Miami, Tel Aviv, Antwerp and Budapest
The reach of the Ukrainian criminal organizations has been reported from Central European countries such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, where they're involved in prostitution
The reach of the Ukrainian criminal organizations has been reported from Central European countries such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, where they're involved in prostitution
to North American countries and Israel, where they found a significant power base following the mass immigration of Ukrainian Jews
The gang branched out into Europe, using Italy as a base of their operations.
A subsequent incident occurred in Latvia on June 24, where three Malian men were abducted and tortured
the cocaine was planned for transportation into the European Union through Moldova
Polish police have dismantled a violent Ukrainian criminal group accused of kidnapping African migrants in Poland and Latvia for ransom.
Territory: Primarily in Ukraine and Europe but also active in Turkey , United States , and Israel .
The at first locally active Odesa mafia ... became well known when it first branched out to New York City and later to Israel