Armenian Crime Groups Paid Moscow Police for ‘Protection’: US Embassy Moscow

A new US Embassy cable released by WikiLeaks last night (10MOSCOW317), created Feb. 12, 2010, paints a picture of Kremlin’s dilemma with then-Moscow mayor Yury Luzkhov. Recall that Luzkhov was sacked by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev over two months ago.

“Moscow Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov remains a loyal member of United Russia, with a reputation for ensuring that the city has the resources it needs to function smoothly. Questions increasingly arise regarding Luzhkov’s connections to the criminal world and the impact of these ties on governance.  Luzhkov remains in a solid position due to his value as a consistent deliverer of votes for the ruling party.  Unfortunately, the shadowy world of corrupt business practices under Luzhkov continues in Moscow, with corrupt officials requiring bribes from businesses attempting to operate in the city,” reads the summary sent by the US Embassy in Moscow.

Of interest to Armenia is the section on Moscow’s criminal world, where it is noted that criminal groups in Moscow work with municipal bureaucrats, “but at a low level”:

“For example, the Armenians and Georgians were formerly heavily involved in the gambling business before city officials closed the gambling facilities.  These ethnic groups needed protection from law enforcement crackdowns, so they sought cooperation with the municipal bureaucrats.  In such scenarios, crime groups paid the Moscow police for protection.”