https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...esi-il-nuovo-volto-del-crimine-a-milano/THE BALANCE SHEET
'Ndrangheta and Albanian mafias, «the new face of crime in Milan»
The Reggio Emilia police commissioner of the Lombard capital, Bruno Megale, speaks: «Drugs were also circulating in the two curves of San Siro»
Published: 06/06/2025 – 7:04
LAMEZIA TERME He left Reggio Calabria , his hometown, just over a year ago, leaving an important mark in the fight against crime, including organized crime. At the helm of the Milan Police Headquarters, after about a year of work, it is time to take stock for Bruno Megale, interviewed by the Catholic-inspired weekly Famiglia Cristiana. Born in Reggio Calabria in 1966, Megale is considered one of the greatest experts in anti-terrorism. At the beginning of his career he worked for 10 years in Brescia and was a director of the Digos in Milan but also a police commissioner in Caltanissetta, the youngest in Italy.
Bombers and Megale
«In Milan, everything is sold»
"The "mala" of Turatello and Epaminonda, of the big robberies with balaclavas or of the political terrorist attacks of the '70s and '80s, no longer exist" Megale tells Famiglia Cristiana, but "in this context new criminal realities are emerging in addition to the 'ndrangheta, particularly insidious, such as the Albanian mala". And again: "Milan is also the city of 300 thousand university students who attend the nine universities present, equal to 17.8% of residents. This means that there are no longer just four or five areas for evening entertainment as there were until recently", with the consequence explains Megale that in Milan "everything is sold: cocaine, synthetic drugs, pills of all kinds, ethnic drugs such as shaboo, a powerful synthetic methamphetamine, extremely dangerous and highly addictive. Even certain drugs that have gone out of fashion, such as heroin, are coming back".
«Drugs were also circulating in the two curves of San Siro»
Regarding drugs, when asked how they actually arrive in Milan, the Reggio Calabria police commissioner explains: «There are various routes, I was police commissioner in Reggio Calabria and I remember that we often had to deal with the port of Gioia Tauro , which in addition to normal commercial activities also functioned as a hub for the arrival of cocaine available to the 'ndrangheta. In 2023, 23 tons of cocaine were seized in Calabria . Clearly, they were not all destined for Italy, but this tells us the power of the organization. Drug trafficking is still the economic engine of crime here in Milan». And again: «Drugs were also circulating in the two curves of San Siro , the subject of our investigations coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office, around the murder of Bellocco, a leading figure in the 'ndrangheta. Investigations that led to dozens of arrests. The ultras fan base has been dominated by these groups who, through violence, have taken over all the business opportunities that the stadium itself provided,” he told the weekly.
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« Now the 'ndrangheta also moves through cryptocurrencies »
Megale is keen to underline: «Milan is not Gotham City: it is a complex metropolis, where crimes, thanks to the joint action of the police, are decreasing. There are no neighborhoods where the police do not reach, the control of the territory is widespread», focusing again on the presence of Calabrian organized crime in the Lombard capital: «The mafias have taken advantage of the crisis of commercial businesses due to Covid to insinuate themselves into the productive fabric through the immense proceeds of drug trafficking». «They have taken over shops – he explains to Famiglia Cristiana – acquired companies in difficulty, they have penetrated many product sectors. Now the 'ndrangheta also moves through cryptocurrencies. At the Police Headquarters we have a special section that investigates this type of trafficking». ( redazione@corrierecal.it )
