Operation against usury and mafia infiltration in the capital. The financiers of the Financial Police, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rome – District Anti-Mafia Directorate, have carried out a precautionary custody order in prison against two people, seriously suspected of usury and extortion aggravated by the mafia method.
The provision was issued by the Court of Rome – Office of the Judge for Preliminary Investigations, at the end of an investigation conducted by the GICO of the Economic-Financial Police Unit.
Two Calabrian entrepreneurs belonging to a criminal structure linked to the ‘Ndrangheta have been arrested
According to what was reconstructed by the investigators, the two arrested – entrepreneurs originally from Calabria – were part of a criminal structure of ‘Ndrangheta origin active in the capital. The group specialized in granting usurious loans to entrepreneurs and professionals in economic difficulty.
The loans were granted with extremely high annual interest rates, in some cases exceeding 300%, accompanied, when necessary, by intimidation typical of mafia organizations.
The connection with the “Cosenza Confederation”
The investigations also revealed an alleged connection with the so-called “Cosenza Confederation”, a criminal alliance attributable to the ‘Ndrangheta which brings together various clans active in the province of Cosenza under a common top structure, with the shared management of resources and interests. The two suspects are also accused of illegally carrying out financial activities: loans worth over 3 million euros were allegedly disbursed to around 25 individuals.
300 thousand euros in cash and numerous weapons and ammunition were seized
During the operation, the Fiamme Gialle seized 300 thousand euros in cash, deemed ready to be used in further usurious operations. An arsenal consisting of two automatic rifles, two semi-automatic pistols equipped with a silencer and a large quantity of ammunition was also found.
At the same time, with the operational support of the State Police and personnel of the Guardia di Finanza of Cosenza, searches and seizures were carried out against those arrested and three other subjects involved in the investigation.
The operation is part of the broader mechanism to combat organized crime and infiltration into the legal economy, with the aim of protecting market transparency and preventing particularly serious phenomena such as usury and extortion.