Russia - The Chechens

A remote trans-Caucasian region just north of Georgia, the Republic of Chechnya is home to Russia's largest and most powerful crime families. In fact, they have a friendly neighborhood branch in what may be your own hometown (Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York).

The Chechens in Moscow are split into three main criminal factions. The most powerful is the "central," followed by the "Ostankinsky" and the "automobile." Finding these groups used to be easy, as they operated from plush Moscow hotels until the war. The centrals could be found in the Hotel Belgrade, the Golden Ring and the Russia Hotel. Here, they controlled drugs, prostitution, restaurants, Moscow markets and the retail trade. The Ostankinsky takes its name from the Ostankinsky Hotel. The group is also headquartered in the Voskhod and Baikal hotels. Their specialty is the transfer and shipment of all types of goods (including drugs) between Moscow and their home base of Chechnya. The "automobile" group brings in cars from Western Europe and looks after seven gas stations.

The transport and sale of drugs are a major source of income for the Chechens. They also employ the time-honored method of extortion to supplement their income. Everyone from street vendors to major international corporations have to cough up about 10 percent of their gross or face the music. The Chechens are linked to the three main Italian Mafia families as well as members of the former Soviet government, the KGB and former Soviet Communist Party members.

Chechen Government

http://www.amina.com/

Chechen "Rebels"

http://www.kavkaz.org/

http://andrsn.stanford.edu/Other/redmaf.html