The Russian mob may return to Hungary

The Russian mob lost most of its influence in Europe by the end of the ‘90s, but it is still present in Hungary. They do not want to dominate in Europe, only take part in the trade of the black market. They differ from other criminal organizations, because they are used by the Russian secret service, according to Index.hu.

A study was published in the spring about the European agencies being more-and-more worried about Orbán’s connections with Russia, that may help the Russian mob to gain strength in Hungary again. Eastern Europe used to be one of the most important headquarters of the post-Soviet mob in the early ‘90s.

The European authorities managed to cast most of the Russian mob back to their homeland by the end of the millennium. Yelchin’s Russia was divided between different gangs at the time as a result of the long lasting crime wars. But the Kremlin realized in time how most of these gangs became nationalists, and began to use them for its own purposes.

Now the mob is present mostly in places where significant Russian colonies are present, and operate in the shadows. Cyprus, for example, is an important headquarter in Europe, because the authorities are helpless and the economy is favorable for money laundering. They also work at the intersections of illegal commercial routes, selling many “goods” from Afghan heroin through weapons and sex slaves.