Strengthen public-private cooperation, target illicit financial flows and strengthen investigative tools, including in the digital domain. These are the main axes of the interventions of the Undersecretary of the Interior Wanda Ferro, who participated, on behalf of the minister Matteo Piantedosi, in the sixth ministerial meeting of the European Coalition against organized crime, held in Paris and dedicated to the theme of the consolidation of public-private partnerships in the fight against drug trafficking.
Port security and cooperation with private individuals
During the first session, dedicated to combating infiltrations in ports, Ferro underlined how “information exchange must become the beating heart of a truly effective security system, based on full integration between the State and private operators”, drawing attention to the need to build shared and interoperable platforms.
Particular attention was paid to the Port of Gioia Tauro, indicated as a strategic hub for international traffic: «It is a complex reality – he explained – subjected to constant monitoring by the judicial authorities and the police forces, precisely to prevent infiltration attempts by the ‘Ndrangheta. In contexts like this, collaboration with large international companies represents the new frontier of prevention.”
Countering internal threats and advanced technologies
Ferro also reiterated “the need to decisively combat internal threats, starting from corruption phenomena and the risk represented by disloyal personnel, and to invest in advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and predictive analyses, to improve the ability to identify risks”.
Anti-drug strategies and operational coordination
During the second session, dedicated to the anti-drug strategy, Undersecretary Ferro highlighted how «criminal organizations demonstrate an extremely rapid ability to adapt, modifying routes and operational methods with a speed that often exceeds institutional responses», and therefore insisted on the need to strengthen the operational dimension of cooperation: «We must intensify the work of the joint investigation teams and strengthen the presence in the main logistical hubs».
Fight against financial flows and access to digital data
According to Italy, the fight against illicit financial flows is also central: «Following the money remains the most effective method for dismantling criminal networks», he recalled, recalling the Italian experience and the work of the Guardia di Finanza. At the same time, he highlighted the urgency of “equipping ourselves with European regulatory instruments that allow effective access to digital data and encrypted communications, while respecting fundamental rights”.
Protection of minors and digital prevention
In the third session, dedicated to combating the online recruitment of minors, Ferro raised the alarm about the increasingly pervasive use of technologies by criminal organizations: «Digital platforms are used to identify and recruit vulnerable young people, to be used in illicit activities linked to drug trafficking. For this reason the response must be twofold: on the one hand the strengthening of investigative devices and digital monitoring, on the other a more decisive investment in social prevention and in raising awareness among young people”.
It is also essential to guarantee “timely access to digital data, an essential condition for the effectiveness of modern investigations, and to promote greater regulatory harmonization at European level to prevent the differences between systems from becoming an advantage for criminal networks”.
Italy’s international commitment
Finally, Ferro expressed satisfaction with the final ministerial declaration adopted by the Coalition: «It is a concrete document that identifies clear priorities: from the dismantling of international criminal networks and their facilitators to the creation of secure logistics hubs, from the fight against illicit financial flows to the enhancement of prevention, up to the strengthening of international cooperation. Italy is ready to do its part, making available the experience gained in fighting the mafia to contribute to the construction of an increasingly integrated, modern and effective European response against organized crime and drug trafficking.”