Putin as 1990s gangsta?

Accusations of Vladimir Putin being involved in criminal activities, including those related to narcotics, during the early 1990s when he was working in the Saint Petersburg city government, have surfaced over the years. These allegations stem primarily from his tenure as the head of the Committee for External Relations.

One notable instance comes from a 1992 report by Marina Salye, a Russian politician and geologist who led a city council committee investigating Putin's committee. 


The report accused Putin's office of issuing licenses to export raw materials in exchange for food imports, a significant portion of which allegedly never arrived, leading to substantial financial losses for the city. Salye suggested that the operations involved mismanagement and potential corruption. However, she did not directly accuse Putin of involvement in narcotics.


While these accusations were severe, they never resulted in formal charges or legal action against Putin, and he has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Over the years, Putin's critics have pointed to various aspects of his early political career to highlight issues of transparency and legality. Still, concrete evidence linking him to criminal activities like narcotics trafficking has not been publicly substantiated by reliable sources or judicial proceedings.