The ‘Ndrangheta might not be as well known as the Sicilian Mafia, but with an estimated annual turnover of US$60 billion, it’s one of the world’s most powerful criminal organizations.
What is the ‘Ndrangheta?
Where did the organized crime group come from? What do its operations look like? And can it be stopped?
The ‘Ndrangheta’s ‘Little Kiss’: Inside an Organized Crime Clan That Moved Cocaine Across Europe
With logistical support from a scion nicknamed “Little Kiss,” the Giorgi-Boviciani clan of the ‘Ndrangheta crime group used northwestern Europe as a cocaine and tax-evasion haven.
The Secret Luxembourg Base of Italy’s ’Ndrangheta Mafia
Luxembourg’s company registry turns up firms controlled by people with ties to the ’Ndrangheta. Italian authorities say the country’s secrecy makes it a major draw for the powerful organized crime group.
Inside the Sinaloa Cartel’s Move Toward Europe
Police agencies have long known that Mexican drug cartels help supply Europe’s nearly US$10 billion annual cocaine habit, but acknowledge they have little idea about the workings of these highly organized and well-financed operations.
Calling London
A UK-based accountant keeps getting accused of helping the Italian mafia hide its money — and British authorities keep doing nothing.
The Cocaine Cowboys
Calabrian expat Antonino Vadalà was already a wealthy man with a successful cattle business in Slovakia when he bought his way into the ‘Ndrangheta, Italy’s most powerful mafia, and opened a new cocaine-trafficking route into southern Europe. Here’s how he did it — and how the cops shut it down.
How the Mafias Came to Slovakia
In the post-communist political upheaval in Eastern Europe, some of the most powerful organized crime families in the world sought new opportunities. In Slovakia, they found fertile ground, friends in high places, and little accountability.
Going Bananas: Flanders Transformed into Hub for International Cocaine Trafficking
A Belgian mobster was able to smuggle tons of cocaine into Europe by hiding it in fruit shipments. When the time came to launder the profits, he looked to Slovakia.
How Maltese Online Gambling Became an ATM for the Italian Mafia
Online gambling is huge in Malta — but it’s not all fun and games. Here’s how the island’s internet casinos have become cash machines for the Italian mafia.
The Model, the Mafia, and the Murderers
A former model hired as an assistant by Slovakia’s Prime Minister once did business with a man connected to Italy’s notorious ‘Ndrangheta mafia.
Italian Farms, Slovak Soil
Agricultural land in Slovakia ended up in the hands of families linked to the Italian ‘Ndrangheta — who then used it to benefit from EU farm subsidies.
Bitter Beauty: A Pilgrimage to the Birthplace of the ‘Ndrangheta
Heaven and the Underworld Meet at a Catholic festival in the mountains of Calabria.
Inside the Mafia-Run Cocaine Network Shattered by European Police
A two-year investigation culminated this week with 90 arrests, splitting wide open a mafia coalition that trafficked drugs to Europe from across the world. Here’s how the clans ran it.
For Love or Money: An ‘Ndrangheta Daughter on West Africa’s Cocaine Trail
It’s hard for anyone to leave Italy’s secretive, clannish ‘Ndrangheta crime families. For women, doubly so.
21 SEPTEMBER 2018 READ THE ARTICLE