obshchak
{{Short description|Organized crime group in Estonia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
The obshchak (Russian), obštšak (Estonian spelling), or ühiskassa (Estonian) or "common treasury" is a traditional umbrella organisation of criminal groups in Estonia, a trade union of sorts that settles conflicts and establishes boundaries of the spheres of interest of various groups such as the Estonian mafia and Russian mafia. Between 2003 and 2016, the Common Fund was dominated by Nikolai Tarankov (1953–2016)[https://www.stena.ee/blog/ubit-predpolagaemyj-lider-prestupnogo-mira-estonii-nikolaj-tarankov Убит предполагаемый лидер преступного мира Эстонии] Николай Таранков // Опубликовано: Kollane 14|09|2016 of Russian heritage and KGB training.Eesti Päevaleht 11 February 2002: [http://www.epl.ee/?artikkel=191821 Kuritegelik sõpruskond keerutab ühiskassa miljoneid] by Risto BerendsonEesti Ekspress 12 March 2003: [http://paber.ekspress.ee/viewdoc/7E1279E84A309C02C2256CE60047B4F5 Nikolai Tarankov – vaikne valitseja] by Raul Ranne However, Tarankov was found murdered in Haapsalu, apparently in a revenge murder related to his past actions.{{cite web|url=http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000002921272.html |title=Mafiapomon kuolema oli ikava muistutus Viron menneisvvdesta |author= |date=17 September 2016 |website=Helsingin Sanomat |access-date=21 August 2019}}
{{cite web|author=Petteri Savolainen|date=15 September 2016|title=Poliisi selvittää Viron alamaailman kummisedän murhaa – ruumis löytyi autosta|url=http://www.mtv.fi/uutiset/ulkomaat/artikkeli/poliisi-selvittaa-viron-alamaailman-kummisedan-murhaa-ruumis-loytyi-autosta/6074242|access-date=21 August 2019|website=MTV(Company)}} The Common Fund pays for lawyers of caught members, purchases and delivers packages to imprisoned members, and covers other expenses. The organization has about ten member groups. The members have also operated significantly in Finland, where in 2009, high-level drug dealing was controlled by Estonians.{{Cite web |url=http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/2009121510783328_uu.shtml |title=Täältä tulevat huumeet Suomeen |access-date=26 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227145936/http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/2009121510783328_uu.shtml |archive-date=27 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}
In 2005, the Estonian Central Criminal Police noticed a decline in revenues of the Common Fund, leading to the capture of several high-ranking members.Eesti Ekspress 27 January 2005: [http://paber.ekspress.ee/viewdoc/553624F5D1A7F13AC2256F8700448D76 Ühiskassa lahjad päevad] by Janar Filippov The decline has been attributed to changes in Estonian society, particularly those experienced in the lead-up to accession to the European Union.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
Estonian police have been successful in disrupting the operations of the Obshchak by arresting their high-ranking members since at least the 2010s. One of the kingpins, Assar Paulus, was convicted in 2016 for founding a criminal organization and funding drug trafficking. The mafia got its income through illegal debt collection using methods like extortion, tax fraud, drug trafficking, and violent crimes. In general, violent crime and protection rackets have become a thing of the past in the organization: it is no longer necessary for ordinary businesspeople to pay protection money to the mafia. Instead, the mafia is more involved in drug trade and white-collar crime such as tax fraud. Also, many former mafia "businesspeople" have moved to legitimate businesses.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000005353261.html|title=Viron poliisin uusi taktiikka tuottaa tulosta: Alamaailman "legendoja" jäänyt kiinni yksi toisensa jälkeen|date=4 September 2017|website=Helsingin Sanomat |language=fi |trans-title=Estonian police's new tactic pays off: Underworld "legends" caught one after another}}