The Provincial Carabinieri Command of Vibo Valentia, in order to implement the level of action to combat, including administratively, mafia infiltration in the legal economy, conducted a specific info-operational maneuver aimed at screening state maritime concessions and business initiatives connected to them, proceeding with subsequent checks in environmental, health and labor law matters.
The municipalities involved were those of Pizzo, Vibo Valentia, Briatico, Parghelia, Tropea, Ricadi, Joppolo and Nicotera, and the initiative involved the Carabinieri Labor Inspectorate Unit, the Anti-adulteration and Health Unit, as well as the Carabinieri Forestry Group.
In particular, it was found:
− that in 7 cases the maritime state concessions were issued to natural persons who do not meet the requirements set out in the art. 67 anti-mafia code as they are burdened by convictions for crimes attributable to organized crime, or to corporate structures owned by members not in possession of the aforementioned requirements or, again, recipients of an anti-mafia disqualification measure. These hypotheses, together with a further 8 cases in which specific elements emerged indicative of the existence of a danger of mafia infiltration in the natural or legal person, were reported to the Prefecture for assessments of competence and in cases in which the beneficiaries have instead falsely certified possession of the prescribed requirements, these are 6 hypotheses, also to the Public Prosecutor’s Office;
− how in 21 cases the bathing establishments were opened in total absence of the concession contract and in 3 cases by virtue of a concession contract stipulated in favor of a different legal entity but without authorization for sub-entry. In this regard, impetus was given to the forfeiture provisions provided for by the navigation code, involving the Municipalities that issued the concession;
− the presence, in some factories, of evidently illegal construction works, because they were built on state-owned areas and of significant critical issues relating to the environment, attributable to the sewage systems.
The investigations also made it possible to detect irregularities regarding the protection of workers and health surveillance, the regularity of employment relationships, as well as waste management.
Particular attention was also paid to food safety. During the checks, food was found without the necessary traceability requirements or stored in non-compliant conditions, resulting in seizures.
Overall, the control activity led to 17 complaints in a state of freedom for violations attributable, for various reasons, to the abusive occupation of state-owned maritime areas, the creation of illegal artefacts and works, hygienic-sanitary and environmental irregularities and the detention of food in a poor state of conservation.
On an administrative level, numerous violations were also contested regarding safety and regularity of work, food hygiene and self-control, food traceability and conservation, waste management, discharges, authorizations and use of state-owned areas, with the application of administrative sanctions of over 70,000 euros, in addition to the amounts still being quantified.
The employment of 31 irregular workers was found, of which 5 were completely illegal, resulting in 3 suspensions of business activities. There were several violations regarding health and safety in the workplace, with 24 workers not undergoing a medical examination and 3 without any training. Furthermore, in some cases violations of working hours were also found. Overall, over 460 kg of food products were seized.