was science as well the you're watching dw, use life from bell into forgotten. you can get to the latest news on our website. dot com. thanks for watching the europe in the fight against the mafia. the police are stepping up efforts to come back. the collaboration interactive, the efforts november 2023, the mafia. investigation committee in the syringe and state parliament summoned unimportant witness. a form, a judge from the district court was called to testify about his friendship with an italian restaurant and in the 2 thousands. the 2 was so close that the judge was

most certainly a ranking, a customer, but also the restaurant as legal advisor. today, more than 20 years later, the judge sees nothing reprehensible about it. it was who just the homeless act to friendship. he explains to the committee. only his friend was considered by the gym and federal police to be a member of the in try and get to the dangerous criminal organization from calabria . the same in that and get to that was being investigated by a special committee of inquiry for the 1st time and jim and parliamentary history. politicians were committed to shedding lights on the global mafia organization, pursuit faced obstacles, expedited sources, and this been wonderful skiing spend documents and it ends cuz we regularly come up against the restriction of the state board is not. we can only deal with matters that are in some way related to through india. and of course this excludes operations baton, not directly related to through india limited beyond state who it is. we can only add limited pieces of the past of coming down the model. is that building to push

them to push the toilet on open? so for me, let's get them to myself that we're dealing with a mafia organization that's operating worldwide. it's not limited to you or full gemini, it's about worldwide operation. i surprised that mcdonald looks up by the prototype just as police investigate has come up against state board is for example, can we in the committee of inquiry on limited to the against the 1st click or we can only ever and cover a fraction of all the entanglements of this complex mafia organization. this makes it difficult for us to assess things past certain points. optic and actually see the big picture. yeah. first the 1st time it's within operation fee. does the federal criminal police conduct to germany's 1st major investigation into the mafia? they targeted 7 italians suspect to deforming a local, and i can get to group in efforts and believe to be responsible for the mass fee is money laundering operations during the feeder operation, the federal police. so

b k, a chief, something once thought impossible. 5 on the come to investigate has infiltrate, typically the attorney and could have been yeah, they were amazed but suddenly came to a halt. putney juice, a cumbersome requests for mutual legal assistance with italy and apparently because of sensitivities in the syringe and public prosecutor's office. the committee of inquiry tried to find out why several requests the mutual legal assistance between gemini additionally formed the basis of co operation in the fight against the mafia, which is active on a global scale. see, to was quietly terminated in 2002 and 4 years later, the proceedings were officially closed. put in sign and or part. we'd have to use seats in old bar as the police forces and the judiciary in europe have made significant advances here. and what this has partly to do with the wealth of experience. a crew during the crack down on organized crime in the 1990s in early tooth 1000. the european authorities such as euro pole, for example,

and euro just on the judicial side put in place processes that enable direct cooperation which makes necessary rapid operational cooperation possible. this can happen via european investigation orders because of where criminal procedural measures of other countries can be carried out in germany, and vice versa, shop, which is why mon or we're joint investigation teams are partnered with other countries because organized crime is never regional guidelines on between scope, and it's certainly not just about the individual state or germany as a whole, that you know, it's usually at least at the european level. and often even the global level be just everything is tightly networked, especially regarding the flow of money from the criminal structures and clientele, if it was. and that's where with international cooperation, we've made a big step forward. adults in feel i'm following causes. the bottom of the fee to

was just the beginning an inability to act meant the mafia became rooted in effort . but the information gathered by the federal police and the syringe and state police office at the time will be decisive. 20 years later, as we'll see, operations to the italians take action against the and did i get to from toodle in calabria? almost a 170 men are arrested including 11 in germany. the challenge is mafia. membership attempted murder and extortion with links to buttons looking back has of area. so india to was involved the investigation showed that the suspected my fios, the a black mailing all the restroom to us in germany. not just that is coming from italy, possibly a gym, and businessmen to the coolest pots they using the do, spoke mexico as the leverage in 2007, 6 italians died in the shoot house and do split close by a family feud. for the fun time. the and did i get to, to come in gemini,

a huge mistake from this point on in blankets. it could be targeted by jim and police. so they have to go into hiding and a good 11 years later, used those brutal murders to threaten german and collaboration on for putting us a. russ caterine, investigating calabria, the has cno socrates help. they were telling colleagues with information but otherwise can do nothing. but this information proved important, it was the only way operations could show how the in that and get to what able to establish themselves, that, that okay, if it doesn't have to be fine, we just put the in this investigation thanks to our use of the legislation. and therefore, the tools of cooperation, we were able to identify a large number of members of the input on utah from material in the province of cro . tony who have been based in germany for years and what have definitely got you done. you said anything you had in mine?

yeah. take any of them all. and they have a stablished themselves. they are mainly in the commercial and wind sector. and i said political, much honestly until the beginning, when do you solve the moment inquiry? during this phase, we did not see any particularly violent behavior on german territory. but we were able to identify consolidated investments in the food and wine trait which had existed in germany for years and said sort of the loudest thoughts. you want to make commission for those to be an equally like one thought. ok don and you know, my don't know, the collaboration allows us to identify a in that and get the structure that had been in place for several years. chuckling cynthia, which was a remarkable result of what i mean that i get off and just out of the events. yeah . okay, everything was here. so i've always looked at the way they can. you know, things of the fight against the mafia always depends on the commitment of individual investigators, as the said and largest operation against the input. i get that to date also showed

authoration fully. no police officers from full countries took action against the mafia. that targets plans from san lucas. the calabria in village also played a central role in the feeder operation. the 14 men were rested in germany alone. this time it was about international cocaine trafficking from south america through european ports. 4 tons of cocaine were confiscated. and once again, the trail led back to efforts the fight against the and drank it to became a joint endeavor. a joint investigation team for it was set top which allowed information to flow fast to unload directly. the or thirty's involved could sit together at one table fully, no marks of tanning points in european police work. in germany, the focus was in the state of north rine west failure. there might have been since

he could, we now understand how our italian colleagues work and in particular we become closer collaborators. it started with the deuced board motors and then continued through various operations such as polinos. it's very important to understand the legal system of our italian colleagues and to incorporate the knowledge that our time colleagues have accrued about all kinds of mafia structures into our work. and so i think that will lead to success and it's meant for a 2nd key to success late in the hague, in the netherlands home to the european police will still receive your result. sykes, to its help pulling a, was the 1st internationally coordinated operation against the in that and get to law enforcement agencies from several countries came together to fight an international criminal syndicates on an international level. we have to do with what we have an uh for sure. i'm a strong believer in the fact that this corporation that this international corporation,

what you all doing every day here is really the future of producing a thing that you cannot walk in. these are nation uh you have 2 of your, the law enforcement agencies working at very low quarter level in the communities and so on. but it's uh you will have to have also some fall sees to go for international corporation and to see the, the issues, the 2 of the criminal issues from a global desperate to you. and this is what the said, john, see your phone is doing every day since 2020 a trial has been ongoing in the so called tablet bunk of the to so to of higher regional codes, this is explicitly a say a trial, something the public prosecutor's office attached his grace, importance to 14 men has been charged. most of them with mafia connections of whom

5 are alleged in the t. c. the trial takes time and does a massive undertaking for the public prosecutor's office. the translation of autonomy and documents alone has cost $2500000.00 euros. so far, the legal file is 400000 pages long. it's quite the challenge for the defense lawyers to the all pub, lima, these are 5. and then those might of which in my view, the main problems with these proceedings or the defendants are brought together, who simply shouldn't be together in the dock. if the 2 sports public prosecutor's office hadn't stubbornly fixated on the idea of mafia and co, we would have been through with a whole case long ago. with such quantities of cocaine involved, there would be heavy prison sentences either way, what's called the idea of criminal organization and the mafia. persecution, then would no longer play such a decisive role in the sentencing call from us. but that's exactly the point. judges are usually reluctant to charge someone under section $1.00 to $9.00,

which talk it's organized, crime and jim and rule. because it's often difficult to prove the penalties a comparatively low littlest ones on the see tiny, italian law enforcement authorities of all to have their difficulties in putting together mafia structures and describing them, especially from a judicial point of view. it's now been around 10 years since the 1st sentences of the highest courts in italy, established that the in drawing get to even exist details here too. it's been a long journey and we are currently in the process of exchanging views on this in order to present it, to the german judiciary accordingly, to present to you operations. platinum, the proceedings are conducted in body and looking back and 2 in again, it's involved cocaine trafficking and comes from san luca again with connections to syringe you this time the allegations with money laundering on tax evasion. this is what is the truth of appeal and the way it worked was that the criminal group,

which the italian investigating authorities are tribute to the in the wrong. you talked to an organized crime group in italy, sold food to retailers without an invoice, sometimes telling them you which organization they belong to, and where they came from. and the sales tax that was due was listed on invoices of the retailers, but never pay based on the state of i'm just off the field. tax evasion and money laundering other main ways in which the fios in germany attract attention to themselves. the trial for international drug trafficking took place in italy. the med smuggled the drugs from south america via the netherlands, belgium, and the port of humbug to calabria. but the trial and constance was special for another reason. for the 1st time in the gym and justice system, the and drank it to what directly named in a verdict, the mafia has been active in gemini for more than 60 years. finally, there's a legal proof, thanks to a public prosecutor's office and the court recognized it's important that i get out

and install the new guys to the end that i don't get to have a history on. which means there is a traditional system of values enormously that are practiced in germany and detectable images of the field. now it's easier for the german law enforcement authorities to name the and drug test. specifically, man, all we need is a judicial decision that the and drawing it to exist. some people from you so far, there's only the 34 page verdict from the constance district court from i'm there still needs to be progress and ensuring that you did sharing names them directly. students which would allow the in drunk to be targeted by law enforcement authorities. if they suspect that they're involved in that of a full studies in front of that is still service, he's was struggling. what's about civil society? how can it be mobilized to fight the mafia? if nobody can see the criminal organization every year, the syringe and green policy organizes and information day and effort. coinciding with the committee of inquiry, the experts want to show how the and try and get to operate and how they have

successfully infiltrated and continue to infiltrate. jim and society disguised as nice restroom says, well, close friends of magistrates mackwood. triple d is here to spread awareness most fema mafia. explanation mon, you have to talk about the mafia. you have to build an anti mafia culture mask. the mafia has shown itself in germany and it's important for the population, especially young people to recognize the mafia in order to better flight attendant . only the best set to become germany as a mafia country, but many to see it. the all star cheese investigation c course and the general public isn't informed people on to way. one way to change that she's by teaching school children to learn how organized crime is attacking the economy and democracy . but he had to courageous people that needed to take this on in the police, the public prosecutor's office, or among teachers. this team i'm off. yeah,

we actually deal with the topic of the mafia and cos in italian lessons. and it's specifically in the curriculum on the i because this now effect around region away from italy and suddenly in germany. and of course it's a topic that we have to talk about just simply create awareness. and that's why i want to inform myself so that i could in turn in for my students for me, and on the day off to the info day in october 2023, a stone's throw away from the venue in efforts the state police of north run west failure searched an apartment with several, a tiny, and so i registered once again and asked what the operation gentleman's, his joints, police operation in italy and frank foot timeline showed that in blankets a clans listed involved in the drug trade, despite the pressure to prosecute them they probably relied on chinese groups from

money transfers in deals that were arranged from frank foot offices confiscated goods with almost 4000000 euros. for 5 years, frank foot police have been investigating the suspected, my fios and their associates. they've picked up on money transfers in inconspicuous residential areas. despite the previous quote, decisions and experience. international cooperation is once again proving challenging done is not to of course it's important to have a discourse with our italian colleagues. but the language barrier can be a challenge because not all officers of the italian police speak english about this . all this makes communication difficult because then there are other legal requirements that complicate matters to us in italy. proceedings are conducted exclusively by the public prosecutor's office. and the police can only work under their direction in germany, the public prosecutor's office is in charge of the proceedings. but the work or the

ideas usually come from the police on another point, which is also very important is personnel college. but if you need the right personnel, both in terms of quantity and quality, and for that you need to have enough resources on the gym and police, but watching a meeting between suspected mafia buses in a pizzeria. this time, many of the observations came from the gym and police not from italy, as is so often the case. together, they then reconstructed the money trail and drug roots of the suspected and drank a t c. and they found connections all the way to africa. did to matt from guinea, beside apparently smuggled drugs for the my fios, the, they mentioned franks that the range the deal and zone i it is a money because it didn't. and those go to the of the so does he's the son of a former president from guinea. besides, he became a diplomat for portugal and was also involved in international drug traffic interest shift heroin from afghanistan to america in cocaine from south america to

germany or europe. dominican of toich went to west village and all of them. so he was an international player. one might say, what is mustang? did that surprise you to something such as of course we were surprised. yes, it's not an everyday occurrence, but of course it makes sense. if you look at the bigger picture, because i'm because diplomats aren't so closely monitored and they have completely different options available to them and completely different access on these. i mentioned them on a new but in this audit, if you google this person, you'll see the family entanglements as a whole family more or less was or is still involved in international drug traffic categories, which is not then that's not including under tv operation. you recap, police phone over the welds took action against the and try and get to it is the biggest on team feel operation to date. have any um, do units coordinated in real time across 3 continents. comes from sun luca way. yes. again,

the targets of the investigate is $130.00. 2 arrests were made including $25.00 men in gemini. the talk on the, on the, on the front of the didn't talk for most awfully strong been 6 north side woken up the day before at 8 am and worked for 36 hours straight. and so i remember that day very well. it was interesting and a real highlight that we managed at that moment in time to conduct an operation author around here at william desk. in the end, it was reassuring that no colleagues were harmed. officially, all of the suspects we detained were also brought in unharmed. number 2, there were arrests and evidence with seas eyes, which helps with the criminal proceedings of you and so to so we weren't just sitting here in dusseldorf working on our own case. last, we knew that colleagues, all over europe we're working together to and this sense of community was very satisfying on what does this come on track for the social observer for eating. in germany alone, 6 federal states were effected. 25 arrest warrants were executed. a joint investigation team was set up again at the european level. subject to move to

symbols, haney, a slate in several countries. coordinated by you are a poll and do you adjust for sale and panama? we're also involved in gemini restaurants and ice cream palos with the main targets of the raids. also in efforts since the beginning, restaurants have served and drank it to not only as a cover, but to buffle as a logistical base for criminal business. let's find this under to solve for you the longer time this is team oldest motif is the north run, west failure as a safe haven for the enroll and get to go. they want to bring money from drug trafficking into the world economy. but even more important than that is to establish a strategic base here. namely to be active in cities will to hear what is happening . see, it's getting in touch with decision makers in the public administration of simulating with society, but also using these bases to accommodate people who are warranted by law enforcement agencies in italy. for example, under the constitution. it's very important for them to bring

a young in that i'm get the state and family members here to work and learn the language just and you can succeed internationally by just speaking your local dialect. i'm. it comes into no, it's not. their main task is to establish this young group, especially men throughout europe, with language skills and education, so that they can later be present on the international drug market. not often it functions as a training location on look, you're not on his findings on whole business, dental, an effort to restaurants here and it was also arrested. his name had appeared in the feeder proceedings often more than 20 years. he finally ends up in hon. costs, now he's accused of being involved in at least one cocaine deal to a straight a. he denies this, but he's restaurants remain open. officially the syringe, the a state police is only and only look, but t rico was also based on the findings. the syringes have been gathering since 1998 success had finally arrived. obits in directly,

it tried cooperation between the authorities is key. yet, regardless of whether it is only the german federal police, or in this case, the range of state office of criminal investigation, everything had to start all over again after fetal, because i'm and because the relevance, the importance of the danger posed by organized crime has grown considerably for everyone involved in all federal states. and this has also led to a new awareness. but with design it goes on operation. eureka has shown that the in blankets have also been using high tech for a long time. the old boss is preferred to speak face to face, but calabria and my fios, he today use encrypted cell phones. the phones were considered top proof workshops against this until the police hacked them to be able to have access to this that was exchanged by the criminal for the son, grouped in networks of communication, whether he is on co chat sky,

you see all this is really crucial in the last, just one, this done. how the the, the biggest and the more i don't dress organized one networks all working. why when you of or these that coming from encrypting networks of communication. you most of the time, see the picture from the top as it's a top down approach. you have the biggest one and you see we, which we do with the are in your nation. so it's far more easy to understand how it works. back in this the range in state parliament, the questioning of the district judge headed off to dallas. he's still so no problem. neither with the fact he helped his attorney and friend know with advising his friends lawyer on how to avoid the ongoing investigation. as he didn't find it

remarkable that his friend was convicted of drug possession and remains in contact with his friends family to this day. the committee of inquiry must present a final report in 2024. he will have some holes in. it says the committee is limited to the syringe here. it's difficult to investigate a global mafia organization. there's nobody else pick the best ones as well. i think the way out would be to do with the, to the higher level the bonus. i actually think that the german federal government should be obliged to take a closer look at this form of organized crime. for example, with a committee of inquiry. ok. so it would probably even be advisable to go ahead and do this at the european level because of course many other countries are effective to, for example, portugal as well as easily for the netherlands, definitely as well. and i think that if we really want to keep things up and deal with it, seriously, we have to go to the european union even though on your display major police

operations. despite all the successes then that can get to a still fall from being defeated. gym and lose and particular still make it easy for them to thrive. the fight against the mafia has only just begun the

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