Organized crime was established in Berlin before the wall and the "iron curtain" were dismantled. Political changes in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, accompanied by fundamental economic and foreign-policy changes, make it easy for criminals and criminal organizations from those regions to become international and European. Groupings of criminals, some of them established under the old system and some of them newly established, make use of freedom of movement, mobility, international business links, and other opportunities to establish connections and markets in Central and Western Europe. Toward this end, they collaborate with resident ethnic minorities to operate their illegal activities. Berlin has a special attraction for these people, because it is the first "rich" city on the road to the West. Covert operations and the appropriate use of technology are needed to penetrate criminal organizations and collect the evidence necessary to obtain convictions. In Berlin the approach is to investigate scene- related crime and target inquiries to persons and groups. Special attention is being paid to ethnic groups associated with organized crime. The international nature of organized crime requires the cooperation of the law enforcement agencies of the countries being victimized. Regional or national limitations on cooperation must be overcome in taking actions against the flow of illegal money. Cooperation must be developed in the collection, transmission, and analysis of information.