Part I: Stephen Handelman; Part II: James Kim

The following two-part viewpoint examines organized crime in Russia and its effects both within and outside Russia’s borders. In Part I, Stephen Handelman chronicles the rise of Russia’s organized crime and argues that Russian crime groups are becoming extremely powerful and sophisticated. Handelman is a journalist and author of Comrade Criminal: Russia’s New Mafiya (Yale University Press). In Part II, USA Today reporter James Kim records the views of experts on the actions of Russian crime figures within the United States. Russian criminals are infiltrating U.S. banks and companies in order to carry out their schemes, he argues, and they pose a significant threat to U.S. society.

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