add 20-40% to the price of vir-
Violence taking root in Moscow
tually all services and products
load to popular demands for a to-
_____________________________
talitarlan leader who will really con-
troi crime
The past month has
The Administration, Security Mi-
nistries, and Militsia must stop sit-
seen a spate of
ting on their hands and making lame
excuses. The battle is being lost if
gangland killings that
it’s ever been joined. They still have a
have shaken the
fearsome intelligence capability and
enormous manpower, but they first
business and foreign
must learn to recognize the differ-
rence between the victims and the
community and made
criminals, and firmly ally themselves
worldwide headlines,
with the innocents. Other sugges-
tions:
What measures should
increase funding + manpower of
Vladimir Petukhov’s Police dept. for
the authorities undertake
contract killings
in order to stop
provide continuous protection
for major banks and their personnel
assassinations?
and do stings of any extort ortionists
convert OMON with Its fear-
some firepower + incorruptible
image from random and ineffective
Michael HAMMERSCHLAG
unexcited, even blase, about the
head, or your employees or family
sweeps of the marginally guilty to an
crime wave. “A typical settlement of
will suffer a similar fate. If you agree,
organized crime strike force
1.
July 19, 2:10 p.m.; Alliance Car
accounts between criminal groups,”
you are married to the mob... and at
use It to target and attack Mafia
Dealership, 105 Leninsky Prospekt; 7
interior Minister Yerin said of the
any time they can demand more or
groups, especially their headquarters
killers w machine guns, defenders re-
Alliance shootout, a common res-
force you out and take control. And if
and leaders
turned lire; 4 dead, 4 wounded
ponse to such episodes. Besides
another of the criminal gangs tries to
simplify foreigners’ and lbgiti-
2.
July 19, afternoon; Taganka P1.,
smearing innocent businessmen, im-
move in, you can be caught in the
mate businessmen’s ability to carry a
gun
battle from cars; 1 dead, 2 wdd
plicit in that is a hopeless acceptance
middle of a war. Victimized by the
gun; they must be able to protect
3.
July 20, 9:15 p.m.; Cafe Aist,
“so they’re killing each other, what
government for so many years and
themselves legally
Maly Bronnaya; 2 killers w machine
do you want us to do about it?” KGB
ced to acceding to pressure, Rus-
increase police patrols in high-
guns; asais. manager Ratik Dzhara-
and police have had tremendous pro-
sians are extraordinarily susceptible
crime areas: Gorky Park, Ghrden
roy & 2 kiosk emp. dead; grenade in
blema making the psychological tran-
to extortion.
Ring after dark, Nightclubs + Hotels
cafe
didn’t go off
sition from persecuting and prose-
After the St. Petersburg INCOM-
+ Valuta flait
4.
July 21 ; Metelitsa Disco!
cuting businessmen to protecting
BANK director was killed, the 10th
—clamp down on GAl taxation wi-
Casino; man shot 15 ft. from witnes-
them. The attitude is that they’ve
bank official murdered this year, 5
thout representation, when people
aes;
I dead
brought these problems on themsel-
bank leaders begged Yeltsin for help
think of police as thieves, they don’t
5.
July 30, 11:50a.m.; Pomerantsev
yes by making money... if they de-
in resisting the mob incursion, claim-
trust them to protect them
Per.
Novy Arbat home; Sergei Goya-
sisted from that they’d be OK. From
ing Doiice had ignored all evidence of
root out some of the apathy and
chov, Russian manager Tren Mos
executing people for capitalism 10
organized crime . No response has
inefficiency in militsia with some
found executedw silenced gun in his
years ago, Russia has moved to a
been heard... taw enforcement tend
kind of motivational program; In
garage
spastic acceptance of it; it’s a long
to dislike banks because they hide
most integrity + discipline remain
6.
July 31, 3:15 a.m.; SE Moscow
way from defending it.
money and flout the often imposs-
amezingty high
Aptmt.; killers break down aptmt
Of course, some problems are due
ible-to-follow laws: “commercial!
install Solid deadbolts in hotel
dopr and shot Boris Oher, Swedish
to Soviet-era businessmen’s cavalier
criminal structures” is a common
roomS; in the Rossiya you can’t even
businessman, 3 times, rob aptmt; I d
approach to paying debts or changing
quote. But if the mobs successfully
keep out the maid
7. Aug 1, 12:40 p.m.; Mezhduna-
terms of contracts: other companies,
tap into the enormous funds of the
allow police to keep proceeds of
rodnaya Hotel room; Greg Tuaztan,
for whom payment may be a life and
banks (as they obviously already did
.qM. crime organizations like the
Polish/British rep for United Tele-
death issue, or mob-related groups,
with the Central Bank by fraudu-
American Drug Enforcement
com Marketing found stabbed 100
don’t show the same forgiveness that
lently transferring .237 billion r) and
Admin. does with spectacular po-
times; nobody saw or heard anything
the Central Bank shows deadbeat in-
take control, they will be almost un-
tentlal for abuse, probably not a vi-
g. Aug 6, 4:25 p.m.; firm Vodolei,
duatries.
stoppable. Corruption in govern-
able option, ... yet
15 UI. Dimitrova; 5 killers shot 3 to
But most of the violence has to do
ment, business, and police circles
increase penalties for extortion
death, strangled 1; blew themselves
with extortion, the disease infesting
may be reaching a Critical mass now,
+ especially kidnapping, which isn’t
up with grenade; 6 dead; over alleged
every facet of business life in Mos-
that determines whether the thugs
taken seriously (6 month sentences)
$100,000 debt
cow and St. Petersburg, which drives
run this country for the next several
I. Edgar Hoover pursued bank rob-
9.
Aug 10, midday; Litovsky Blvr
the prices in the rinoks out of sight,
generations, as they did for so long in
hers to the ends of the earth, but
office; 2 killers w machine guns; 3
and makes a normal priced bar or
Italy. A policeman or official making
spent 40 years pretending organized
dead, I wdd
club impossible. It is one of the most
$30-I 00/month has limited ability to
crime didn’t exist. Russia has no such
10. Aug 17, 9:30 a.m.; UI. Ostrovi-
insidious crimes, because there is al-
resist mobsters who have millions;
luxuries. Past government criminal-
tyanova (M. Konkovo); killer shot
most no defense and it forces busi-
when one sees’the GAL functioning
ity, the dislocations of the social up-
businessman 3 times, then 2 aasocia-
nesser’into criminal partnerships
as human toil booths, it’s hard to be-
heaval, the collapse of institutions,
tea and policeman; I dead, 3 wdd
(however reluctant) that have an
lieve they even have the predilection..
the new poverty, people’s apathy and
The statistics are grim: Moscow
enormously corrupting effect on so-
The dangers of all this violence
exhaustion are all feeding a locust-
murders are running 1300/year, over
ciety. If you resist, against even a
and death are myriad. It will:
like explosion of organized crime. If
3/day (a 6-fold increase over 5 years
small group who can choose their
drive away desperately needed
they settle down and become more
ago), almost one shootout/day
time and means of attack, you inveri-
foreign investments and companies
sophisticated, they wilt be here for
(6/wk); nationwide 80 murders/day,
ably lose. The Alliance Car Dealer-
drive out native businessmen or
the long haul, and Russiana, whose
30,000/yr. - double the per Capita rate
ship had their own gun-wielding
prevent them from even starting,
history has been defined by fear and
of America; nationwide I 00 I 50 con -
guards 4 died anyway. 2 goonS
crippling Russia’s evolution towards
pain, will have yet another set of ma-
tract killings of businessmen and 10
come to your business and suggest
a normal healthy market economy
sters of those black arts.
of bank officials; 60 cases of terrorist
that you need to pay or else, often
extend a criminal web that cor-
. -
bombings of homes, offices and cars
emphasized by a beating or smashing
rupts, poisons, and threatens busi-
Mtthaet Hammerschlag Is a correspondent
this
year.
of property. lf you refuse, you will be
ness and government
r.~ Pysaideace Janet (a.Jj, sad has nbtes
Security ministry and police offi-
beaten, or the business will be ama-
damage or destroy a largety un-
pstttttsi esontary car Cstaahts Jnnsttas
cials, deluged by the flood and crip-
shed or burned in the middle of the
tapped immensely lucrative tourist
aeview, Seam. Ti.ee, sad the Hence News,
pied by the new poverty, have been
night, or a gun will he put to your
industry.
Tribsue, sad Gssrdtas.