Italy’s ‘Ecomafias’ Expand Activities with Rise in Environmental Crimes

Rome: Italy’s ‘ecomafias’ expanded their activities last year, when crimes against the environment increased by 14.4% with respect to 2023 to take the total over the 40,000 mark, Legambiente said in a report on Thursday. The environmental association said that this means there are 111.2 such crimes each day in Italy, or 4.6 every hour.

According to Ansa News Agency, revenues from environmental crimes in Italy are estimated to mount up to around 9.3 billion euros, with organized crime clans becoming increasingly involved. The report highlighted a significant rise in corruption in public contracts related to the environment. It noted 88 investigations for bribes concerning these contracts between May 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, marking a 17.3% increase compared to the previous 12-month period.

The report also indicated that approximately a third of the environmental crimes were linked to the cement supply chain. Waste dumping and processing showed the most substantial growth, with felonies in this area increasing by 19.9%.