Italy cracks down on Chinese organised crime in nationwide raids; 13 arrested, USD 3.9B fraud scheme uncovered

Rome [Italy], August 5 (ANI): Italian authorities have apprehended 13 individuals in a nationwide operation targeting Chinese organised crime syndicates, delivering what officials referred to as a "double blow" to criminal organisations involved in drug trafficking, labour and sex exploitation, and money laundering, as reported by The Epoch Times.
Extensive coordinated actions took place across 25 provinces, including Milan, Rome, Florence, Prato, and Catania, focusing on Chinese clans that employ mafia-like intimidation and territorial dominance, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry and comments made by anti-organised crime police representative Andrea Olivadese.
"In one aspect, the State Police executed a 'high-impact' operation across 24 Italian provinces aimed at rooting out Chinese criminal factions indulging in illegal trafficking, the exploitation of sex and labour, product counterfeiting, drug distribution, and international money laundering," stated the Interior Ministry.
Authorities inspected hundreds of business establishments and vehicles, identifying over 1,900 potential suspects. In addition to the arrests, police confiscated 550 grams, roughly enough for 5,500 doses of crystal methamphetamine locally referred to as "shabu," along with firearms and cash, according to Olivadese. Furthermore, 31 individuals were reported to judicial authorities without being detained, as highlighted by The Epoch Times.
Another initiative, spearheaded by the Guardia di Finanza, dismantled a tax-fraud scheme valued at USD 3.9 billion, seizing USD 858 million, shutting down 266 shell companies, and freezing 400 bank accounts across the regions of Marche, Lombardy, and Piedmont, as mentioned by the Interior Ministry.
"These coordinated efforts demonstrate that Chinese mafia operations extend beyond local concerns, representing a transnational criminal reality capable of moving billions and infiltrating the economic landscape," stated Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi in the ministry's announcement, as quoted by The Epoch Times.
This crackdown occurs amid increased scrutiny of Chinese influence in Italy, along with investigations into "overseas police stations" managed by Chinese authorities. The human rights organisation Safeguard Defenders reported in 2022 that Italy is home to the most clandestine centres, totalling 11 in cities including Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, Sicily, and Prato.
Italian officials have denied permitting these centres and committed to enhancing oversight. Piantedosi indicated in December 2022 that sanctions would be imposed if any illegality was discovered. Previously, Italy engaged in joint patrols with Chinese law enforcement, but those activities were halted in 2022 due to concerns regarding Beijing's human rights practices and the potential abuse of such facilities to monitor dissidents opposed to the Chinese regime, as noted in The Epoch Times.
The Anti-Mafia Commission of the Italian Parliament has also broadened its scope to probe into Chinese organised crime and its alleged connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Experts, including former Director of the NATO Defence College Foundation Giuseppe Morabito, have cautioned that Chinese gangs in Europe frequently operate in conjunction with state-interlinked agents, creating a blurred distinction between organised crime and foreign influence. T
he Italian operations are a result of years of inquiries into hidden Chinese banking systems alleged to channel billions of euros from counterfeit operations, prostitution, and tax evasion back to China, as emphasised by The Epoch Times report.
International reports have also underscored the extensive reach of Chinese organised crime beyond Europe. A collaborative investigation by ProPublica and The Frontier in 2024 revealed connections between Chinese diplomats and organised crime figures in the United States, while other analyses have tracked the involvement of Chinese triads in supplying Mexican cartels with precursor chemicals for fentanyl, as referenced in The Epoch Times report. (ANI)