From Calabria to the World: The ‘Ndrangheta Clans and Colonisation Mechanisms Outside Italy

• In Event: Roundtable: The Global Dimension of Mafia-Type Organized Crime

Abstract

This presentation looks at the main revenue of the ‘ndrangheta – that is, drug trafficking. It describes the main judicial operations that have tracked the presence of ‘ndrangheta members and brokers around the world. After describing the way the clans have entered drug markets since the 1970s, the focus shall be on the most contemporary Antimafia investigations. These investigations are crucial to understand not only the changing structure of the clans, but also their reach. This chapter will argue that the drug trade is profoundly linked to the control of the territory in Calabria and in particular of the port of Gioia Tauro. Finally, this chapter will look at the management of proceeds of crime by the clans, especially focusing on investigations on money laundering. References to the newly published Palgrave book “'Ndrangheta. The Glocal Dimensions of the Most Powerful Italian Mafia”, are made.

Author

• Anna Sergi, University of Essex