Russian mafia taking over French Riviera

Mafia kingpins from the former Soviet Union have moved into the French Riviera and are taking over with “quasi-military” precision.
Their grip on the region is now so tight that Riviera detectives expect an eastern connection to almost every crime.
“Everything from burglary and money laundering to vice is controlled by the Mob from former Communist countries,” [...]

Top Albanian Aide Arrested in NYC Crime Ring Bust

A senior aide to the deputy prime minister of Albania has been arrested on charges of murder and racketeering, officials said today.
Prosecutors in New York say the aide, 27-year-old Almir Rrapo of Albania, is a senior member of the Krasniqi crew, an international crime organization engaged in murder, kidnapping, narcotics trafficking and other illegal activities [...]

Key informant against Mexican Mafia gets 14 years

He’s got the moniker of a lovable children’s TV character, but his life has been anything but lovable.
Ricardo “Cookie Monster” Saenz Jr. long followed the rules of the gang known by the 13th letter of the alphabet — “M.”
As a midlevel leader with the Texas Mexican Mafia, Saenz, 44, extorted drug dealers, dealt drugs, robbed, [...]

Former Gang Members Speak Out

Like most Sundays, the Oroville Church of the Nazarene was filled with music, emotion, and people waiting to hear a message from the pastor. His message for the morning’s service: “changing your life.” To help empasize the point, three ex-convicts, who reportedly started some of the most notorious gangs in the country, shared their testimony. [...]

Gassed in their beds by Riviera robbers: Terrifying ordeal of the British tourists falling victim to Mediterranean gang crimewave

Britons on the French Riviera are being drugged and robbed by thieves who gas them as they sleep.
The gangs quietly break in or slip inside patio doors left open because of the heat.
They then crouch down and release the gas into air conditioning units or under the victims’ bedroom doors.
After waiting outside for the gas [...]

Russian mafia running Coast ATM scam

TWO Romanians charged with multiple ATM skimming offences were ’soldiers’ for an international crime cartel and linked to a Russian crime figure, a court was told yesterday.
Mircea Fluter, 29, and Alexandru Stroia, 26, both of Mermaid Beach, fronted a bail hearing at Southport Magistrates Court yesterday charged with a total of 27 offences relating to [...]

New, Improved Cocaine Submarines

Increasingly sophisticated ‘narco subs’ move tons of Colombian coke to the U.S.
Surprisingly sophisticated homemade “Narco subs” are the drug cartels’ latest tool for smuggling drugs from Latin America into the U.S. Although cartels once relied on speed boats to outrun authorities, they have shifted their focus to submersible vessels that are hard for surface vessels [...]

Reputed Georgian Mafia Boss Jailed for 10 Years

A reputed Georgian mafia boss linked to last year’s slaying of Russian mafia boss Vyacheslav Ivankov was sentenced Monday to 10 years in a maximum-security prison on charges of kidnapping and extortion.
Moscow’s Khamovnichesky District Court ruled that Tariel Oniani, 51, also known as Tariel Mulukhov, kidnapped Georgian-born businessman Johnny Manadze in Moscow in March 2009 [...]

Testimony Continues in Mafia Boss Trial

Los Angeles – There was more chilling testimony in the Eulalio “Lalo” Martinez trial on Monday. “Lalo” who is a Mexican Mafia boss is accused of ordering a hit from inside a cell at Pelican Bay State Prison.
Prosecutors say the trial shows how the Mexican Mafia controls LA streets from prison cells hundreds of miles [...]

Ex-Mexican mafia alters life, inspires others

WHITTIER, Calif. (KABC) — A former member of the Mexican mafia returned to his old neighborhood Friday night to speak out against gang violence and bring a message of hope. An estimated 2,000 people turned out to hear his words.
Art Blajos is living proof that it’s possible to leave a murderous gang lifestyle behind. At [...]

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