Karachi has been racked for decades by political violence and organized crime, with many of the main political parties here operating their own extortion gangs.

WSJ: Taliban Thrive in Pakistani Commercial Hub

Under his leadership, Cosa Nostra seems to have withdrawn from its foreign activities to concentrate on crime in Sicily, notably extortion and the creaming-off of profits from public contracts.

ECONOMIST: The dramatic capture of the Mafia's top man

Some Kosovar Albanians especially supporters of Ibrahim Rugova, the moderate who holds the province's (relatively powerless) presidency will undoubtedly breathe a sigh of relief if the foreigners' bid to root out crime and extortion succeeds.

ECONOMIST: Cracking down on crime in Kosovo

The Altegrity consultant says he has recently investigated the Mexican operations of U.S. companies that have been infiltrated by organized crime, finding cases of extortion and one payroll scheme.

FORBES: Mexico