The police and the courts of the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Belgium are conducting a large-scale action targeting ‘Ndràngheta, a Calabrian mafia organisation. It is based in south-west Italy and is active throughout the whole of Europe.
Arrests and various seizures have been carried out in all four countries. The German Federal Criminal Police Office indicated that in Germany raids occurred, notably in North Rhine-Westphalia and in Bavaria. The newspaper, Bild, indicated that searches targeted certain pizzerias, amongst other organisations.
The investigation began in 2016. Further comments about the coordinated action were scheduled to be made by Eurojust in The Hague at noon CET today. Pieter Strauven from the Limburg Public Prosecutor’s Office and Kris Vandepaer, the Director of the Limburg Federal Judicial Police, will have been present to represent Belgium.
The ‘Ndràngheta has become the most powerful criminal organisation in Italy, and engages in drug trafficking throughout Europe. Its boss, Santo Vottari, was arrested at the beginning of last year.
The Brussels Times
