https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...-la-rotta-verso-il-porto-di-gioia-tauro/

The eyes of the 'Ndrangheta on Africa: drug trafficking in Libya and the route to the port of Gioia Tauro

It is currently the most influential organization in cocaine trafficking. Ivory Coast, Ghana and Guinea-Bissau are also targeted. The Calabrian port is a fundamental "gateway" to Europe

LAMEZIA TERME The 'ndrangheta today presents itself, with pressing rhythms, as particularly threatening to the economic and democratic order, as a highly equipped, modern, multi-purpose, polycentric system, capable of grasping and "creating" any economic and/or financial impulse capable of facilitate "money laundering" operations and the reuse of goods and other benefits of illicit origin". It is one of the most relevant passages of the latest report of the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate relating to the first half of 2023.

Contacts with Central and South America
According to the latest data, in fact, the availability of large amounts of capital deriving from the significant role of the 'ndrangheta in international drug trafficking, combined with a strong ability to manage the various segments and hubs of trafficking, have allowed the clans to consolidate relationships with the most important networks international criminals. And it is in this scenario that the Port of Gioia Tauro is of great importance , within the dynamics that affect the narcotics sector. The 'Ndrangheta's interest in this port is linked to the enormous enrichment potential that derives from it, transforming the clans into solidly reliable partners for the similar criminal organizations of Central and South America, suppliers of the narcotic substance, as demonstrated by the the outcome of numerous investigations, including very recent ones.

Relations with West Africa
In this scenario, therefore, the African continent also plays an increasingly important role and, above all, the western area, an increasingly important stop for the trafficking of the 'Ndrangheta. All eyes are on the Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Ghana, the first countries to end up in the sights of the mafias, becoming crucial logistical bases for narcos. Libya has recently been added to these countries . Citing the latest data from the DCSA (central directorate for anti-drug services) dating back to 2022, the port of Gioia Tauro plays an absolutely central role, in which 80.35% of the cocaine seizures carried out at the maritime border are concentrated, with an incidence of 61.73% on the national total. And, in this complex scenario, the hegemonic role of the Calabrian 'ndrangheta is strengthened, the most insidious and pervasive Italian mafia organisation, characterized by a pronounced tendency to expand both on a national and international scale and one of the most powerful and dangerous criminal organizations in the world. Thanks to the presence of its own exponents and operational brokers, established in the places of production and in the temporary storage areas of drugs, not only on the national territory, but also at a European level, it represents the most influential organization in the trafficking of cocaine from South America .

Trafficking from Libya
Furthermore, according to the report, the availability of large amounts of capital of illicit origin and a strong ability to manage the various segments and hubs of trafficking have allowed it, over time, to consolidate an important role in international drug trafficking, to which other criminal networks refer. for the supply of the narcotic to be sent to consumer markets.
The DCSA Report also highlights the role assumed by North African countries in recent years, including Libya and the route to Gioia Tauro. In Libya, in the last 5 years, there have been hundreds of seizures of narcotic substances, in particular hashish, cocaine, heroin and above all synthetic drugs and psychotropic drugs (specifically tramadol). The vast majority of the drugs seized were destined for European ports and airports, particularly Italian ones, such as that of Gioia Tauro, considered by criminal groups dedicated to drug trafficking to be the "gateway" to Europe . ( g.curcio@corrierecal.it )