The Guardian

Mafia gangs move to Germany as business hits hard times in Sicily

Details obtained by the Guardian reveal extent to which Sicilian mafia clans are migrating north after running into financial problems in Italy
Police in Stuttgart, where a mafia gang is believed to be operating. Photograph: Silas Stein/EPA

Sicilian mafia clans are decamping north to Germany in search of business opportunities in response to poor economic conditions in southern Europe and an Italian government crackdown on organised crime.

Details obtained by the Guardian of a large-scale anti-drug operation in Germany’s south-west reveal the extent to which mafia clans are said to have migrated to some of the wealthiest regions of Europe’s economic powerhouse after running into financial problems in Italy.

Nineteen suspected drug traffickers were arrested

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