McMafia by Misha Gleny

"McMafia" by Misha Gleny - Huge scope!

This edition of book is published by Vintage in 2018 and has 448 pages. This book was recommended and gifted by Rajendra Roplekar (Raju kaka).

Book summary

Part 1: Fall of communism. 

If the testosterone oozing young are not gainfully employed after the fall of regime, they transform themselves into criminal enterprise. Author explains how the Balkan and former Soviet states became hot bed for criminal activities after fall of USSR. Illegal cigarette trade from factories of Europe and America was recycled through Monte Negro, with the blessing of it's Prime Minister. Author blames UN sanctions that cut- off legitimate businesses that left no choice but to turn to illegal businesses. He elaborates how eastern Europe became conduit for Afghan drugs to western Europe. Illegal and organized Caviar business in Caspian sea has engendered Caspian Sturgeon (fish species) which was a source of foreign currency. How oligarchs and mafia established themselves abroad. He laments that no organized criminal is as successful as the one that receives state support. Ukraine became hub for Caspian and Middle Eastern illegal oil and gas transport to Europe. 

Part 2: Gold, money, diamonds, and banks.

Israel became a hub of Mafia,  starting with immigration of Russian Jews to Israel, human trafficking, drug distribution, money laundering. He covers Dawood Ibrahim's rise and rule in Mumbai. His criminal empire. His flight to Dubai, close relations with ISI, fall out with Chota Rajan. He brands Dubai as washing machine of the world, laundering dirty money.  He identifies human trafficking and possible labour unrest as main issues of Dubai. He then goes on to explain first mega Nigerian scam that happened in 1990s to a Brazilian bank, and then Nigerian scams of all kinds. He also covers African and South African mafia dealing in drugs,  diamonds,  minerals etc. 

Part 3 - Drugs and Cyber Crime

Marijuana trade from Canada to USA. Drug business within USA. Drug cartels of Columbia. Mafia of Brazil and Brazilian cyber criminals. Author says Brazil has 3 important key ingredients to create cyber criminals i.e. poverty, good education and existence of organized crime. Chinese government does not differentiate between its global wandering work force working in legitimate and illegitimate sectors. 

Part 4: Future of organized crime

Japanese land sharks, acquiring apartments for redevelopment The Yakuza and Yamaguchi mafia and their history. Chinese mafia in China, Hong Kong, Macau and its transformation after Mao's revolution and later after reforms in 1990s. China's mega industry of counterfeiting that counterfeits anything and everything. Illegal tobacco trade. Entry of North Korea's in counterfeiting. 

End of Book summary

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Iran are completely ignored. Does author think that these countries are so chaotic that nothing organized, even organized crime, is possible there? Chinese mafia in America, Korean mafia in Japan, Russian mafia in middle east only get a passing mention. Contract killing (Professional hits) also does not get much page space. The gamut of the subject is so vast that something is bound to be overlooked or left out. 

This is an insightful book on organized crime. How the organized crime spots opportunities, how they exploit them, how the former Soviet block turned out to be 'useful' etc.

In all cases, sudden dismantling of existing structure led to large job losses (USSR breakup,  Mumbai cotton mill closure,  Canadian lumber industry, African dictatorship change etc.). Suddenly out of work youth took to illegal activities like drugs,  arms,  prostitution, precious metals and minerals. And in all cases they were overtly or covertly assisted by law enforcement and politicians. It sheds light on how organized crime cuts into globalization.

This book was published around 2006. Since then a lot has happened in illegal trades all over the world. Probably an update of this book is in order. 

Why did I read this book? Recommended and gifted by Rajukaka.    

What did I like? Coverage of an important subject. 

What I didn't like? Some missed things. 

Read if the subject interests you.