Organized Crime in Russia Unit 8

 

It’s no secret that the world of crime is constantly in the shadows. The ending result is that it becomes hard for law enforcement to deem who’s who, and more importantly who is in charge of it all. However, one Russian Mob boss has become well known enough to be rated the most dangerous crime lord in the world for the year 2012 by the FBI. This man’s name is Semion Mogilevich, a Ukrainian born man who is believed to be in charge of the Solntsevskaya Bratva Syndicate, a Russian Mafia organization based in Moscow.

         

   He has been credited to be the man behind all the decisions that resulted in the expansion and organization of his criminal enterprise. He has earned the nicknames “Don Semyon” and “The Brainy Don” because of his intelligence. This is not only because of his degree in economics, but how he also is associated with various legitimate Russian Businesses. Wikileaks suggest that he has been connected with RosUKrEnergo, Raiffeisen Bank, and Gazprom (Russian State Energy Group).

 It is also rumored that he has close ties with Putin for political reasons. It is suspected that Putin protects Semion Mogilevich because of Mogilevich’s support for Putin. This may be no surprise to some, Semion Mogilevich is suspected of being a billionaire and part of his syndicates operations include contract killings, along with drugs, smuggling, gambling, and kidnapping. These actions would present an obstacle to any honest politician looking to challenge Putin.  Though believed to be untouchable due to his business and political connections, the FBI still has him ranked 494^th on their most wanted list. 

Sources:

http://listverse.com/2012/06/05/top-15-crime-bosses-and-drug-lords-in-2012/