Scu and 'Ndrangheta in the story of the magistrate Nicola Gratteri
The public prosecutor of Catanzaro presented his latest book to a passionate crowd that arrived in the historic center of Mesagne

MESAGNE - He began the meeting by exposing the need to adapt the Italian legislative structure to current criminal phenomena, then moving on to the theme of youth education, ending with a focus on the actions of the 'Ndrangheta in 2023. In between, fear - even if in truth it is almost a certainty - that the rubble of the war in Ukraine could make money for criminal organizations, fueling the black market in arms.

These are just some of the main issues addressed by the prosecutor of the Republic of Catanzaro, Nicola Gratteri , a guest yesterday evening (August 20) in Mesagne.

The magistrate, much appreciated by the large audience present in Piazza Orsini del Balzo, presented his new book “Fuori dai confine – La 'Ndrangheta in the world”, co-written with the essayist Antonio Nicaso.

And it is precisely in that Historic Center, once a fort of the united sacra crown (Scu), that today the rebirth of a community is celebrated, that of Mesagne. Clearly, always remaining vigilant to ensure that the mistakes of the past cannot be repeated.

Mafias nowadays
"We are in 2023 and yet we are still talking about the mafia, this is incredible - says Gratteri - the contrast of the state has achieved good results, especially in some territories, but there is still a lot of work to do".

“Besides the fact that our judicial system is not fully adequate to the challenges of this time, it must be said that the watchword is credibility . In a consumerist society like the current one, how is it possible that a young schoolboy – who perhaps lives in difficult contexts – can find her model in the teacher?”.

Specifically, the public prosecutor refers to the too low salaries of Italian teachers. Circumstance he knows well because, as he said, his wife (under guard like him) also teaches mathematics in a middle school.

In some territories, the "neighborhood bully", who arrives at the bar with a good car, attracts the attention of young people more than a modest teacher, whose role is often mistreated. This is exactly how the mafia consortia manage to fascinate those who will be the young followers of the future.

And again, Gratteri insists on school: "In September, don't make plans for legality - he thunders, addressing the teachers - take the kids to drug rehabilitation centers" so that they can understand in which area the mafias operate.

Nicola Gratteri in Mesagne: "Talking to young people and acquiring credibility to fight the mafias" (WATCH THE VIDEO)
The criminal force, up to Eastern Europe
The 'Ndrangheta is the only mafia present on all five continents. Over time it has taken on its own form of credibility (and this keyword returns here too).

“Just think – says Gratteri – that compared to the others, the Calabrian mafia manages to pay less for the cocaine that comes from the Amazon forest. It is 1,000 euros for a game, while the other organizations pay out 1,800. But that's not all, the 'Ndrangheta supporters are given the opportunity to pay for the goods after having sold them on their own market. A major plus."

This alone can make us understand the importance assumed over time by this company , which like the others is now capable of communicating with innovative technological mechanisms : "It is as if organizations had invented another whatsapp - says the public prosecutor - Incredible no? The Italian security systems are not able to access them".

Precisely with these mechanisms , sometimes with the help of highly trained Romanian hackers, it is possible to trade illegal goods in a safer way.

From here, the passage of the magistrate on the situation that binds Italy, the Balkans and Eastern Europe. According to Nicola Gratteri, what happened during the war in Yuvoslavia will take place in Ukraine: "What will happen to the weapons used?" he wonders, already knowing the answer. "Why hasn't the West equipped them with a GPS? The weapons will end up on the black market, we know that the price has been set at 30,000 euros a piece".

Already the arms market, a long story that takes the public prosecutor of Catanzaro back to the flourishing times of the united sacra corona. When the sacristi in Montenegro not only hid the cigarettes intended for smuggling but also the means to offend. But what did the criminals from Puglia do with it? Probably many of them didn't even know how to use sniper weapons.

The answer is given in Gratteri's book: those weapons were destined for a real "barter", a criminal exchange between the united sacra corona and the 'Ndrangheta. The latter brought cocaine to Puglia to fuel an infinite circle that reached its peak in the 1990s.

And now what will happen once the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over? The question is legitimate, just as it is legitimate to ask whether Puglia and Brindisi will once again play "a leading role" in the exchange of illegal goods after so many years.