Russian Mafia threat

Vilnius, Lithuania

The Russian Mafia has been trying to gain control over the Lithuanian president, the Lithuanian secret service said in a report to Parliament this week. The report, leaked to the newspaper Respublika, said Russian crime gangs were already active in Lithuania, trafficking in arms and drugs and laundering money. It accused several top advisors to President Rolandas Paksas, including his national security advisor and his biggest campaign contributor, of having Russian Mafia links. The president said he had broken no laws. “As far as I know, the president has not been influenced by organized crime,” said Mecys Laurinkus, the head of the secret-service agency that issued the report. “But attempts have certainly been made.”

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