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’Ndrangheta Mafia seen firmly established in Germany

DDP/The Local
DDP/The Local - [email protected]
’Ndrangheta Mafia seen firmly established in Germany
The murder scene in Duisburg. Photo: DPA

The dreaded ’Ndrangheta clan of the Italian Mafia has established a growing foothold in Germany, according to a report from the Federal Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BKA) obtained by weekly newspaper Die Zeit.

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The officials believe there are 229 family clans of the Calabria-based ’Ndrangheta active in Germany. Many of the 900 members are found in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

The paper reported on Thursday that much of the criminal activity carried out by the German-based Mafia members includes arms trafficking, murder, money laundering, drug trafficking, toxic waste disposal and extortion. The 400-page report also lists hundreds of German restaurants under Mafia control.

The ’Ndrangheta Mafia clan is based in the Calabrian region of Italy, located right on the country’s “toe.” Despite its geographical proximity to Sicily, the ’Ndrangheta clan operates separately from the Sicilian Cosa Nostra clan.

The ’Ndrangheta first made its presence in Germany known almost two years ago when six Italians in Duisburg were shot dead in front of their restaurant. The apparent motive was a feud between the family that owned the restaurant and a family of the clan. Giovanni Strangio, who operated two pizzerias in the area, and his brother-in-law Giuseppe Nirta have both been arrested for the crime.

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