Many of the earlier arrivals in this latest surge were Chinese, transported by racketeers based in southern China.

ECONOMIST: Australia

This time round Nomura is alleged to have given millions of yen to a building firm closely connected with racketeers.

ECONOMIST: Not all it should be

He also claims to have brought 232 criminals to justice - including arms dealers and immigration racketeers - by conning them with his disguise.

BBC: Tabloid tactics

The Middle East boat people have been enticed by a fresh lot of racketeers who seem to be based in the Indonesian islands of Lombok and Flores.

ECONOMIST: Australia

Their salaries are on the line, as well as their social benefits, and the chance to make money on the side as racketeers or bouncers in mafia-run bars and clubs.

ECONOMIST: Serbia��s opposition

Although it is quite well informed about the Albanian factions, from protection racketeers to hardline nationalists, which operate in this and other parts of Kosovo, it uses its knowledge sparingly.

ECONOMIST: A besom for the Balkans

Basically his concern is that abuses of the parsonage allowance by religious racketeers will cause public alienation for a relatively modest benefit that can be critical to the viability of small churches.

FORBES: Southern Baptists Against Clergy Tax Abuse

Even the much-publicized police raids in recent years on sokaiya (racketeers who threaten to disrupt shareholder meetings if not bought off) have netted only a few, small, independent operators not linked to the big gangs.

FORBES: Japan's Dirty Secrets

Such gratitude is not, of course, due the Saudis - who, we are endlessly told, are among our most reliable "friends" in the Middle East - because they are working to drive down the price of oil set by the OPEC racketeers' cartel.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Friends like these