The Soviet fur mafia was a major organized crime uncovered in the Soviet Union in 1970s as a result of Operation 'Cartel' by KGB. It was operating around several "underground" furrier factories in Kazakh SSR. The case ended in prosecution of some 500 people, with 3 top tsekhoviks (owners of illegal factories) receiving death sentence.Martin Mccauley, The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union, , 2014, pp. 374-375Андрей Колесник, Бандитский СССР. Самые яркие уголовные дела, , Фархат КИНЖИТАЕВ, "Взгляд через годы" Industrialnaya Karaganda, 18-06-2013Станислав Малоземов, Елена Малоземова, "Охота на пушного зверя", Novoe Pokolenie (НОВОЕ ПОКОЛЕНИЕ), KazakhstanЭрик АУБАКИРОВ, "Как Караганда рассорила КГБ и МВД" Express K (Экспресс К), № 94 (17933) от May 31, 2014
In the Soviet Union fur trade was a major source of hard currency.
The case started in 1972 by an accident when during an investigation of a robbery in Moscow when several fur coats were uncovered without proper manufacturer's tags.
See also Uzbek cotton scandal, another major Soviet corruption case Soviet fish mafia Corruption in the Soviet Union
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