Criminal enterprises - like their legitimate counterparts - have suffered during the pandemic-induced economic crisis. But the Italian mafia has already laid the foundation for a massive payday.
Last year, when countries were seized by lockdowns, the mafia started infiltrating cash-starved companies in a bid to siphon money from the EU s recovery fund - and the €1.8trn that will, in part, start flowing to struggling firms later this year, according to Maurizio Vallone, Italy s top investigator of organised crime groups.
Criminal groups - including the Ndrangheta in the southern Calabria region and Cosa Nostra in Sicily - have sought to gain footholds in lawful businesses that will be first in line to get EU aid, such as those in environmental and digital sectors, said Mr Vallone - who leads the Anti-mafia Investigative Directorate, which groups investigators from the main police forces.
How the Italian mafia is targeting Europe s crisis recovery fund
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How the Italian mafia is targeting the fund meant to help Europe recover from Covid-19 crisis
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