Major Operation Against Mafia structures in Europe

A total of 108 arrest warrants were executed during this large-scale international operation against the mafia. A court in the Italian port of Reggio Calabria had issued warrants for the arrest at the request of the anti-mafia prosecution. The suspects are accused of membership in a mafia organisation, drug trafficking and weapons, money laundering and other crimes.

The vast majority of the defendants were arrested in Italy. More than 30 arrests have been made in Germany alone so far. In some Landes, raids against suspected members and aides of the Kalabrese Ndrangattas were under way at night and morning. Arrest warrants have also been executed in other European countries: against six people in Belgium, three people in France and one person in Portugal, Romania and Spain.

Over 1,000 police officers, including special forces, were mobilized throughout Germany. According to the bavarese police office, the German, Belgian and Italian authorities participated in the <x0E>operation Eureka” against the Nrangheta kalabreze, in close co-operation with European authorities Eurojust and Europol.

Investigation by Investigationrs in Bavar

In Bavar, authorities have investigated eight suspects and European arrest warrants have been executed against four of them. Several pounds of marijuana have been seized in one of the business establishments. According to the bavarese authorities, they were also successful with a decisive step towards international investigations: they managed to identify an encrypted mobile phone, belonging to one of the key suspects during his stay in Barvari. Munich-based group is accused of taking part in financing international cocaine trafficking, of supporting it by logistical means and money laundering.

Bravare Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann spoke of a key “step for Italian investigators”. The arrest and search operation carried out throughout Europe is globally “a significant blow to “Ndangheta”, the minister said.

Some arrest warrants at the North Rine-Westphalia Launda

According to information from several state prosecutor's offices and regional criminal investigation offices, raids in Germany focused on Bhavari, North Rin-Westphali, Rheinland-Pfalz, Zara Lake and Tyringen. Thus, at the North Youth-Westphalia Launda, about 500 forces of intervention searched a total of 51 homes, apartments, offices and business venues of suspects and executed 15 arrest warrants. In Tyringen, Rheinland -Faloz and the Zara Launda, a total of eleven people were arrested and more than 50 apartments and business facilities were searched.

In Italy, “Eureka” is one of the largest and most important shares in the fight against organised crime in recent years. Only for the period from October 2019 to January 2022 can the Italian and Belgian authorities attribute the NKranghetaïs import and trafficking of nearly 25 tonnes of cocaine. In addition, more than 22m euros were spent from Calabria to Belgium, the Netherlands, and South America.

A Powerful Mafia Organization

Nandangheta is one of the most powerful mafia organisations in the world and has long been active at the international level, beyond Italian borders. It is based on the Kalabria region, the top of the <x0czemes” Italian on the continent, opposite the island of Sicily. It dominates international drug trade, but also earns money through arms trafficking, money laundering and corruption. Some experts estimate its ride to more than 100 billion euros. There are about 160 clans in Calabria, estimated to have 6,000 members.

The name Nranghetaʹ comes from Greek and nearly means courage or loyalty. The mafia organization was reportedly established in the 1860 ' s when a group of Sicilians was expelled from the island by the Italian government. Ndangheta also has a solid base in Germany. The organization's clans, for example, were responsible for the mob killings in Duisburg, during which six people were shot dead before a picerie in 2007. /dw