The 'Ndrangheta exceeds the limits of Italy and becomes an international of organized crime
Despite originating in the southern region of Calabria, 'Ndrangheta has taken strong roots in the northern regions
Italian justice jails 70 criminals from the country's most powerful mafia
Miguel Perez Pichel
04/15/2023Updated 04:30

The 'Ndrangheta has become the main mafia association in Italy , spreading throughout the national territory, beyond its original Calabria, and has even spread its tentacles throughout Europe and Latin America.

Turned into an "international of crime", the 'Ndrangheta mafia groups "absolutely" dominate organized crime throughout Italy , with a presence in practically all regions, according to a report by the Anti-Mafia Directorate presented to the Italian Parliament and collected by the ANSA agency .
According to the report, despite having its origin in the southern region of Calabria, the 'Ndrangheta has strongly taken root in the northern regions , such as Lombardy, Trentino, Veneto or Piedmont, where up to 46 "locals" (groups) have been identified. criminals).
It also has a strong presence in the central regions of Lazio, Umbria or Tuscany, as well as Liguria, Emilia Romagna, Abruzzo, Le Marche or the island of Sardinia.
Likewise, the report warns that the 'Ndrangheta has made the international leap and has established a strong presence in European countries such as Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Malta, says ANSA . .
Beyond Europe, the 'Ndrangheta's tentacles reach as far as Australia and the Americas, particularly Argentina, Peru, and Colombia, as well as the United States and Canada.
Its main activity continues to be drug trafficking , and its bases are located in the Calabrian port of Gioia Tauro, in Genoa, La Spezia, Vado Ligure and Livorno.
The report points out that "the anti-mafia prevention activity led by prosecutors in the regions of origin and in those of projection has revealed the ability of the 'ndrine (the Calabrian clans of the 'Ndrangheta ) to infiltrate the administrative and electoral bodies of local entities in order to obtain control of public resources and financial, state and community flows with the aim of increasing their social influence”.
It points out that the 'Ndrangheta clans maintain privileged channels with South American cartels, as well as with criminal groups in West Africa , especially in the Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Ghana.
Through these geographical axes, the 'Ndrangheta have managed to create an intricate logistics network that has allowed them to control international drug trafficking.

The Camorra expands
The Anti-Mafia Directorate's report also analyzes the situation of the Camorra, a Neapolitan mafia , which, like the 'Ndrangheta, is experiencing expansion thanks to its links in the public administration.
“There is a serious crisis of values ??that affects large pockets of local administrators , public administration officials and financial workers who, fascinated by easy money, are receptive to complicit behavior and corrupt practices, allowing the camorra to integrate into the system. within the legal circuits”, the report points out.
"The best-structured camorrista organizations endowed with a solid criminal tradition manage to capitalize on their relationship and mediation capacities on the social, political, and economic level, creating dangerous links within the interests that open the door to criminal businesses," he adds.
The Camorra "moves in the economic and social fabric with formidable efficiency , financing companies and productive activities in difficulty, and exploiting its own mediation capacities to establish networks of cross-cutting relationships, functional to the capitalization of enormous profits accumulated illegally."

Cosa Nostra in decline
Immersed in a deep crisis after the fall of its last leaders, the Sicilian Cosa Nostra continues its decline.
The report states that "the prolonged absence at the top of a solid and recognized leader, responsible for establishing the rules and hierarchical links , would be favoring the affirmation of capos and new-style families that have a mafia family origin."