Crime - Action against Camorra: three arrest warrants executed
In an operation against Italian organized crime in the greater Cologne area, police executed three European arrest warrants on Thursday. The suspects, aged 29, 63 and 65, are accused of acting as a gang to launder money from illegal drug trafficking by the Camorra, which is based in the greater Naples area, according to the police and public prosecutor's office in Cologne. At the same time, orders for the forfeiture of 724,000 euros were enforced.
The three Italian nationals - two women and one man - are said to have bought expensive luxury cars in Germany since 2015 with money obtained from criminal activities following an order from the Camorra. The vehicles are said to have been made available to the clients again via a bogus car rental company and fictitious rental contracts. The alleged rental contracts are also said to have been paid for with money from drug deals, illegal gambling and gang-related economic crimes committed by the Camorra in Italy.
According to the investigators, seven residential and business premises were searched in the greater Cologne area. The investigation is being conducted by the Stuttgart customs investigation office and the Cologne public prosecutor's office. At the same time, arrest warrants and search warrants were executed in Italy. The measures took place in Cagliari on the island of Sardinia and in Naples.
Experts from German and Italian authorities have been working together on the case in an investigation team since 2020. Members of the Cologne Criminal Investigation Department, which is responsible for combating Italian organized crime, and Italian colleagues were involved in the operation in the Cologne area. The Cologne tax investigation department and the Stuttgart customs investigation department were also involved.
Press release
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- In addition to the operations in Germany, arrest warrants and searches were also carried out in Italy, specifically in Cagliari and Naples, involving both Italian and German law enforcement agencies.
- The two women among the suspects, along with the man, are accused of engaging in money laundering activities in collaboration with the Camorra, a criminal organization based in the Naples area of Italy.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office in North Rhine-Westphalia, where Cologne is located, has been actively involved in the investigation into the Camorra's activities in Germany, targeting women and men involved in their criminal enterprise.
- The forfeiture of 724,000 euros was carried out in relation to the arrests, as a result of economic crimes committed by the Camorra, including illegal drug trafficking, gambling, and gang-related economical activities.
- The cooperation between the Stuttgart customs investigation office and the Cologne public prosecutor's office, together with Italian authorities, has resulted in significant progress in dismantling the Camorra's operations in both Germany and Italy.
Source: www.stern.de
