In a recent crackdown targeting the ‘Ndrangheta mafia, Italian police have arrested 40 individuals on charges related to drug trafficking. The suspects are accused of collaborating with their counterparts in Latin America, utilizing underground networks of Chinese money brokers to facilitate their illicit activities.
This development follows a major operation just a month ago, where European law enforcement authorities apprehended over 100 mafia suspects involved in drugs and weapons smuggling. Leading the latest investigation in Bologna, Chief Prosecutor Nicola Santori revealed that 40 arrest warrants were executed, including four Albanians and two Chinese individuals. Additionally, the movements of suspected Calabrian mafia members have been restricted in seven regions across Italy.
According to a statement from the Guardia di Finanza police, the investigation, which spanned from late 2019 to July 2022, unveiled the trafficking of 1.2 tonnes of cocaine, 450 kg of hashish, and 95 kg of marijuana.
The criminal network in question maintained connections with influential South American cartels, including the Brazilian Primeiro Comando da Capital, as well as criminal organizations from Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Bolivia, the police reported. The ‘Ndrangheta, originating from the southern Italian region of Calabria, has risen to prominence as the most powerful mafia group in the country, making it one of the largest criminal networks globally, surpassing Cosa Nostra.
Italian police investigations have revealed that the Chinese money brokers received cash payments, which were subsequently forwarded to trading companies in China and Hong Kong. These companies would then deliver the funds to drug brokers and the South American cartels via intermediaries stationed abroad.
Recent investigations have shed light on the increasing utilization of unlicensed Chinese money brokers by drug cartels in Italy to conceal cross-border payments. The success of this operation was aided by accessing encrypted chats on a platform that was dismantled in 2021 by a joint investigation team comprising Europol and cooperation with the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, as stated by the Italian police.
