THE DIA AND THE GUARDIA DI FINANZA CARRIED OUT AN ARREST ORDER AGAINST 12 PERSONS FOR MAFIA-TYPE ASSOCIATION

REGGIO CALABRIA. OPERATION PLANNING: THE D.I.A. AND THE GUARDIA DI FINANZA CARRIED OUT AN ARREST ORDER AGAINST 12 SERIOUSLY SUSPECTED PERSONS, ON DIFFERENT GROUNDS, OF MAFIA-TYPE ASSOCIATION, EXTERNAL SUPPORT, CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION, SELF- LAUNDERING, ILLEGAL TRANSFER OF FUNDS, USE OF MONEY ILLEGALLY GAINED.

SEIZURE OF ASSETS IN ITALY AND ABROAD FOR OVER 32 MILLION EUROS.

Officers of the Direzione Investigativa Antimafia and the Comando Provinciale della Guardia di Finanza in Reggio Calabria, coordinated by the local Public Prosecutor’’s Office – District Antimafia Direction, headed by Dott. Giovanni Bombardieri, are enforcing an order of personal preventive measures issued by the Investigating judge (GIP) of the Court in Reggio Calabria against 12 persons (8 already in prison and 4 under house arrest)  heavily suspected, on different grounds, of mafia-type association, external support, criminal association, use of money of illegal origin, self-laundering, illegal transfer of assets, all with the aggravating circumstance of mafia method.

At the same time – in Lombardy, Abruzzo, Latium and Calabria – the D.I.A and the Guardia di Finanza are enforcing a preventive seizure order, aimed at confiscating an equivalent value, issued by the Public Prosecutor of Reggio Calabria – D.D.A. against no. 27 companies, including one having the head office in Slovenia  and one in Romania, no. 31 real estate properties, corporate shares and financial resources amounting to a total value exceeding 32 million euros.

The operation is the outcome of a complex investigation conducted by the D.I.A. and by the Nucleo di Polizia Economico Finanziaria in Reggio Calabria revealing –  without prejudice to further evaluations of merit – joint economic interests among entrepreneurs and cosche of the ‘ndrangheta in Reggio Calabria.

In particular, investigations revealed the existence of a criminal association made up also of some entrepreneurs operating in the building and food retail sector. Some of them were already involved in criminal proceedings and were affected by preventive measures and had  signed a number of agreements with ‘ndrangheta families, thus aiding infiltration in those sectors, on the basis of a hidden partnership of their  criminal echelons  in the economic activities . Such activities were managed through front companies and by entrusting  a number of services to entrepreneurs close to the criminal association.

Part of the profits thus achieved were subsequently hiddenly transferred, through fictitious commercial operations and legal relationships, in order to divert the cash to the effective owners of the economic operations , including the cosche of the ndrangheta, and to hamper the investigations, eluding the application of asset-related preventive measures and using and self-laundering the illegal proceeds.

Meanwhile, the cosche aided the territorial expansion of the entrepreneurial activities, at the expense of other competitors, protecting their interests also by using the intimidating force.

The investigations lasted two years and were focussed on offences committed from 2011 to 2021. These were integrated by multiple and convergent statements of cooperating witnesses.

Furthermore, the investigations – without prejudice to further evaluations of the merit – revealed the use of money or assets of illegal origin and self-laundering, involving the province of Pescara. Some suspects invested illegal proceeds in order to start and manage two supermarkets.

Specifically, these entrepreneurs from Reggio allegedly share a criminal relationship with the De Stefano cosca, though this is not the only criminal link with the ‘ndrangheta from Reggio, as they have further criminal relationships with other cosche.

The activity is the outcome of a joint cooperation among LEAs, effectively coordinated by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Reggio and shows the focus put on the identification and the countering of assets and financial resources illegally gained by mafia-type criminal groups in order to hinder market infiltration and to grant adequate levels of legality, transparency and public security.