Alongside the sardars are the so-called muscle men who settle scores with defaulters and bribe officials.

Drug traffickers can often bribe officials to stay out of jail or facilitate the illegal trade.

Mexican police are frequently implicated in violent crimes, as drug cartels infiltrate their ranks and bribe officials.

But it could cause big trouble if authorities seize on payments as an attempt to bribe officials.

A mosaic of armed groups vie for control of smuggling routes and bribe officials into cooperating with the illegal trade.

A fee is required to expedite the proceedings, or to pay taxes, or to bribe officials - they plausibly explain.

He admitted that he took part in a scheme to bribe officials in exchange for business opportunities, including a mining contract.

Those who find jobs are deemed illegal and often have to bribe officials and businessmen, leaving them open to mistreatment, HRW said.

He pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges he conspired to bribe officials to win contracts from the United Nations and other foreign entities.

The Justice Department later sued MWI, claiming it had given a Nigerian middleman $25 million to bribe officials in order to get government loans.

Moreover, bribing officials is often the unstated policy of multinationals, foreign investors, and expatriates.

But the US authorities have also rigorously pursued foreign firms alleged to have bribed officials.

Odebrecht admitted to bribing officials in 12 countries, mostly Latin America, to help secure lucrative contracts.

The company acknowledged in a 2016 leniency deal that it had bribed officials in a dozen countries.

Och-Ziff last year settled charges with the U.S. Justice Department that some employees had bribed officials in Africa.

At least two employees, though, knew the businessman gained access to these investment opportunities by bribing officials, prosecutors said.