Organised crime outstrips nations [View All]

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: The Times

The Italian organised crime group the ’Ndrangheta makes more money than some small European countries, a study by the Eurispes research group found.

The estimated turnover of the group, which has overtaken the Sicilian Mafia for drug trafficking, was valued at €44 billion (£35.5 billion) last year. This is the annual business equivalent of 2.9 per cent of the Italian gross domestic product for the same year and is equal to the combined GDP of Slovenia and Estonia. The ’Ndrangheta was responsible for the killing of six Italians at a pizzeria in Germany last August. It makes its money through drugs, extortion, arms trafficking and prostitution.

The report, ’ Ndrangheta Holding, estimated that the south Calabria region group made €27.2 billion from drugs. Raffaele Rio, of Eurispes, said that it made more money from narcotics, mostly cocaine, by working directly with South American dealers. The report added that fighting between clans of the group was increasing.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3981192.ece

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See also: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7413906.stm