Legislation to Crack Down on Organized Crime Goes into Force

President Saakashvili signed legislation on organized crime and racketeering on December 29. The law envisages the confiscation of property which was acquired through racketeering.

The draft law defines the terms ?thief in law? and “thieves? world.” The latter, according to the draft, is a group of persons who acts in accordance with special criminal rules and aim at gaining profit through intimidation, threats and crime. The “thieves? world” is led by a ?thief in law,? who is a criminal boss, or a criminal authority.

According to the draft law, members of the “thieves? world,” as well as ?thieves in law? will be subject to punishment regardless of whether these people have committed any particular crimes or not; while the property acquired by them will be confiscated and transferred to the state.

?This is a very strict law, which enables us to identify who these people [thieves in law] are, to confiscate their property and hand it over to the state? Our aim is to destroy their financial foundation,? President Saakashvili said when he was signing the new legislation.

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