The thousands of crime groups in the former Soviet Union are generally believed to have relatively short histories and are also characterized by the use of corruption, a hierarchical structure, and a division of labor. Their typical activities include racketeering, fraud, theft, robbery, drug law offenses, weapons trade, smuggling, prostitution, gambling, profiteering, and embezzling in the economic and banking sectors. However, the real extent of organized crime in this region is unknown. Due to the political and economic crisis, the country has no way to curb this problem. Law enforcement agencies are grossly underequipped and understaffed and also lack coordination. These factors and the growing drug trafficking and smuggling of strategic materials represent serious security concerns for both the former Soviet Union and the rest of the world. 84 reference notes