Different kinds of thieves

The downside to protection rackets is it’s a crowded field, and there are always other rival mobs trying to spoil your play, or cut you out completely.

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, is negotiating with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a cut of Ukraine’s future mining income in exchange for continued American aid. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Presidential Office of Ukraine

Opinion

BY GWYNNE DYER

February 18, 2025

LONDON, U.K.—What’s the difference between smash-and-grab raids and protection rackets? Not all that much from the legal point of view, but protection rackets have a lower level of risk and a higher rate of return.

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