Founding location Armenia Allies Russian mafia | Ethnicity Armenian | |
Territory Armenia, Russia and post-Soviet states, United States Criminal activities Extortion, racketeering, assault, murder, political murder, contract killing, money laundering, bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, tax evasion, political corruption Rivals Azerbaijani mafia, Turkish mafia | ||
The Armenian mafia is a general term for organized criminal gangs based in Yerevan, Moscow and other major Russian cities, that consist of ethnic Armenians. It is spread over all post-Soviet states. The structure is organized in clans called akhperutyuns (brotherhoods).
Armenia
In the capital city of Yerevan, there are 12 districts that are called neighbourhood communities. Officially, each district is governed by a prefect elected by the residents, but in reality each district is unofficially claimed by several mafia clans. The different factions battle for their own turf. The clans get money through the prefects, who collect funds from markets, through allocation of lands and from the sale of business spaces. Each prominent member has a distinct nickname that is known by residents of the capital.