A 60-year-old Italian fugitive with suspected links to the Camorra criminal organization was arrested on the island of Corfu, Greece on Saturday.
The man had an outstanding European arrest warrant issued by the prosecutor’s office in Naples, Italy, for his involvement in a criminal organization and financial crimes.
The suspect had been evading capture since 2012 and was listed by the Italian Ministry of the Interior as one of the most dangerous fugitives, owing to his connections with the Camorra crime group in Italy.
He was allegedly engaged in money laundering through illegal financial activities.
The detection and subsequent arrest of the suspect were the result of a well-coordinated operation led by the International Police Cooperation Division of the Hellenic Police (ELAS).
This operation effectively utilized intelligence information gathering and was carried out with the cooperation of the Italian authorities.
Italian media say that police were alerted to the suspect’s whereabouts through photos showing him celebrating Napoli winning the title of the Italian championship at a restaurant on Corfu.
Grainy photos show the suspect unfolding Napoli banners on a balcony. The Italian police recognized him wearing a baseball cap, and holding a blue scarf. After a long series of investigations and tailings, he was arrested as he was riding his scooter.
Camorra is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy
The Camorra is an Italian Mafia-type criminal organization and criminal society originating in the region of Campania. It is one of Italy’s oldest and largest criminal organizations, dating to the 17th century.
The Camorra’s organizational structure is divided into individual groups also called “clans”. Every capo or “boss” is the head of a clan, in which there may be tens or hundreds of affiliates, depending on the clan’s power and structure.
The Camorra is considered by the Italian Government to be the most violent and murderous criminal organization in Italy. Camorra’s main businesses are drug trafficking, racketeering, counterfeiting, and money laundering. It is also not unusual for Camorra clans to infiltrate the politics of their respective areas.
Since the early 1980s and its involvement in the drug trafficking business, the Camorra has acquired a strong presence in other European countries, particularly Spain. Usually, Camorra clans maintain close contact with South American drug cartels, which facilitates the arrival of drugs in Europe.
According to Naples public prosecutor Giovanni Melillo, during a 2021 speech of the Antimafia Commission, the most powerful groups of the Camorra in the present day are the Mazzarella clan and the Secondigliano Alliance. The latter is an alliance of the Licciardi, Contini and Mallardo clans.
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