Lecce Prefect warns of mafia infiltration in local economy

The Prefect of Lecce, Natalino Manno, has highlighted new methods of mafia infiltration in the Salento region. While the Sacra Corona Unita has lost its strictly hierarchical structure, criminal groups continue to operate through a precarious ‘mafia pax’ based on the division of drug trafficking territories.

According to Manno, proceeds from drug trafficking are being laundered through legal economic sectors, specifically tourism, catering, and entertainment. To combat this, authorities have significantly increased anti-mafia checks on businesses requiring authorization; requests for documentation in the national database have risen from zero to over 600.

Mno also noted that criminal organizations are seeking social legitimacy by investing in cultural events and non-profit associations to build consensus, which risks becoming ‘electoral exchange goods.’ Furthermore, the role of female relatives has become prominent, with some managing finances and negotiating alliances with the ’ndrangheta and foreign organizations, while orders are reportedly still transmitted from prisons via illegal mobile phones.