More than 130 members of the world’s most powerful crime empires have been arrested in an international day of action.
More than 2,770 law officers from ten countries swooped on the feared ‘Ndrangheta mafia.
The crime gang is behind most of Europe’s cocaine trade, systematic money laundering, bribery, and violence.
The ‘Ndrangheta were targeted in Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Romania, Brazil, and Panama.
One hundred and thirty two people were held.
Europol supported the operation – the largest to yet hit the ‘Ndrangheta.
The crime agency the criminal network under investigation was led by several powerful ‘Ndrangheta families based in the town of San Luca, which is in the Italian province of Reggio Calabria.
Some families have been involved in decades-long clan violence known as San Luca feud, culminating in massive shootings in Italy and abroad.
Members of the criminal network were engaged in criminal conspiracy not only by being part of a mafia-style organisation, but also by handling drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, illegal firearms possession, money laundering, fraudulent asset registration, tax fraud and tax evasion.
They were also aiding abetting fugitives – including two on the EU Most Wanted List.
The Italian criminal network was devoted to international drug trafficking from South America to Europe, as well as Australia.
Authorities uncovered that the network was working in partnership with the Colombian organised crime group ‘Gulf Clan’ and an Albanian-speaking crime group operating in Ecuador and multiple European Countries.
Furthermore, the ‘Ndrangheta clans were involved in international firearms trafficking from Pakistan to South America, supplying weapons to the notorious criminal group PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital) in exchange for cocaine shipments.
Investigators tracked the flow of money in an extensive global money laundering system, with massive investments in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.
The criminal group was investing its profits in real estate, restaurants, hotels, car wash companies, supermarkets, and other commercial activities.
