29 Arrests in Italy-Germany ‘Ndrangheta Operation

Rome: Italian and German police on Tuesday arrested a total of 29 people in the two countries accused of belonging to or helping the Calabria-based ‘Ndrangheta mafia, Italy’s richest and most powerful criminal organization.

According to Ansa News Agency, some 20 people, including lawyers and accountants, were arrested in Italy, and the other nine in the German land of Baden-Wurttemberg. The arrests in Germany included a police officer suspected of passing information to the ‘Ndrangheta organization.

The investigations, codenamed Boreas, were conducted with the cooperation of the Public Prosecutor of Catanzaro, Salvatore Curcio, who explained that the operation was successful “thanks to the collaboration with the Stuttgart Prosecutor’s Office and the German police.” This collaboration dates back to 1993 when the first ‘Ndrangheta informer in German territory, Vincenzo Cavallaro, provided crucial statements, later corroborated by another informer, Rocco Covello. Curcio emphasized that the presence of the ‘Ndrangheta in Germany has been evident for over 30 years.

The “Boreas” investigation uncovered extortion activities in both Italy and Germany. Curcio noted that this crime significantly contributed to the aggravating circumstance of a transactional nature. The victims were primarily Calabrian traders residing in Germany.

Deputy Prosecutor Vincenzo Capomolla added that the clans relied on the complicity of professionals who engaged in the fictitious ownership of assets. These clans managed to control economic activities across a large portion of German territory using ‘figureheads’ to register companies, which were essentially traced back to the clan members.