Russia - Crime in Russia

In a place where hiring a hit man to kill someone costs only $200, you had better watch your step. Foreigners are targets of crime in Russia, especially in major cities. Pickpocketing and muggings occur both day and night. Street crimes are most frequent in train stations, airports and open markets; on the Moscow-St. Petersburg overnight train; and when hailing taxis or traveling by the Metro late at night. Groups of children who beg for money sometimes pickpocket and assault tourists. Foreigners' hotel rooms and residences have also been targeted. Some victims have been seriously assaulted during robberies. If you receive a replacement for your lost or stolen U.S. passport from the U.S. embassy or a consulate in Russia, your exit visa must also be replaced, with assistance from your sponsor, so that the passport number written on the visa matches your new passport. This normally requires a Russian police report.

Older people are also targets of crime in Russia. In addition, there has been a sharp rise in the number of taxi drivers killed while on duty. Policemen have been killed at their posts. And, to make matters worse, Russian jails are becoming overcrowded. Even more so if you decide to hire a guard. There are 9,800 private security firms registered in Russia, and of the 5,000 firms inspected by the Interior Ministry, 10 percent had criminal connections.

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