Italy's mafia combines forces: dangerous alliances underground!

Italy's mafia combines forces: dangerous alliances underground!

Vienna, Österreich - On May 27, 2025, the Italian anti-mafia agency (DIA) published its annual report, which documents alarming changes in organized crime. According to vienna.at, mafia organizations in Italy show a clear trend towards less violent territory fights. Instead, the Cosa Nostra from Sicily and the Camorra from Naples are increasingly forming alliances, both nationally and internationally. This willingness to cooperate can be interpreted as a new strategy in order to secure your areas of influence in drug trafficking, prostitution and money laundering.

DIA director Michele Carbone warned of the risk that public construction projects combined with the mafia could undermine public construction projects. Projects that are supported by the EU-financed Corona Raporbaufonds are particularly affected, such as the planned bridge construction between Sicily and the mainland as well as the preparations for the Winter Olympics 2026.

a new business model of the mafia

The mafia's renamy in Italy could also have been strengthened by the ongoing economic challenges during the Covid 19 pandemic. Significant effects such as the decline in economic output by 12.4 % in the second quarter of 2020 led to greater dependencies on alternative help that the mafia offers. According to [mafianeindanke.de] (https://mafianeindanke.de/de/aktuelle-geldeschetypologies-und-schafhaeftsmodelle-der-mafia-organized-Kriminalitaet-im-Signe-von-covid -19/), organized crime is flexibly responding to changing market conditions. While some countries, such as the United States, have a decline in mafia activities, there is an increase in cybercrime and fake medication in Europe. In Italy, the mafia has expanded its existing business areas under the changed conditions, which opens up new sources of income.

The Covid 19 pandemic also opened up new opportunities for the mafia to influence and generate profits. The healthcare industry, tourism and gastronomy are particularly at risk. The Italian Minister of the Interior Luciana Lamorgene pointed out that entire industry could depend on organized crime.

money laundering in Germany

Germany also faces a critical situation in terms of money laundering. According to [Deutschlandfunk.de] (https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/organanisieren-kriminalitaet-warum-deutschland-be- der-der-dtml), it is estimated that between 50 and 100 billion euros in Germany are washed annually. These activities are still mainly favored by tax evasion, and the real estate sector is considered to be particularly risky. The national risk analysis of the Federal Ministry of Finance shows that there are considerable money laundering risks.

banking system and real estate agents are required to act in a suspicion and to cooperate together with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). However, there is criticism of the effectiveness of money laundering control in Germany, reinforced by the Wirecard scandal, which has disclosed the failure of the system. The EU Commission has involved Germany in a contractual infringement procedure due to inadequate implementation of the money laundering directive.

Overall, developments in organized crime, both in Italy and Germany, are worrying and demands for increased measures to control and control. The current annual report of the DIA is an urgent appeal to critically question and address the existing structures.