ABSTRACT
In the social sciences, an extensive bibliography exists on the phenomena of organized crime. The increased presence of international criminal organizations in Spain has come about as a direct result of a number of specific circumstances, historical and cultural as well as economic and territorial. International criminal organizations in Spain have always tried to avoid ostentatious violence in order to maintain the country as a secure base for money-laundering, an activity for which they consider it especially suitable, and as a refuge. International arms trafficking groups are the oldest global crime groups in Spain. The types of crime and the nature of criminal operations are largely dependent on the country of origin of crime groups operating in Spain. This can be seen by a comparison of the Colombian drug cartels and the Russian mafia. In many cases, the Russian mafias take advantage of the lack of cooperation of the Russian police with Spanish investigations.
