Ndrangheta trial in Bellinzona: How the Anello clan infiltrated Switzerland
A suspected representative of the Anello clan stands before the Federal Criminal Court. Mafia expert Anna Sergi explains the key role of Switzerland for the Ndrangheta.
Ndrangheta trial in Bellinzona: How the Anello clan uses Switzerland as a base
Early this week, proceedings began before the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona against Carmelo M., an alleged representative of the Calabrian Mafia in Switzerland. According to the NZZ, he allegedly worked for the Anello clan for twenty years and maintained close contact with the clan's boss. Mafia expert Anna Sergi explains in an interview how significant this clan is – and how deeply the Ndrangheta is rooted in Switzerland.
Switzerland as a strategic foundation
For the Anello family, Switzerland is simply indispensable, says Sergi. "Without Switzerland, it would not have become as powerful as it is today." This pattern applies to many Ndrangheta clans: the leadership sits in the south, in Calabria, and the business runs in the north. Boss Rocco Anello led his empire from the small village of Filadelfia – supported by men like Carmelo M., who also comes from Filadelfia but has lived in the canton of Aargau for years.
Representatives like Carmelo M. fulfilled a central function for the organisation, Sergi explains: they understand the Swiss system, know how to invest and launder money, can organise drug and weapons transports across the border – and know how to gain access to influential people: entrepreneurs, lawyers, members of the chamber of commerce.
Access to the local elite
According to Sergi, those who work as helpers for the Mafia are not always Calabrians. Often they are Italians from other regions, sometimes also Swiss. Not all of them know that they are dealing with organised crime. "Switzerland is small, and the Italian community in the country is manageable. People simply come into contact and gain access to others."
The Anello clan came to Switzerland at the end of the 1980s because the neighbouring country offered particular advantages: short routes across the border, a partly Italian-speaking population, great wealth. Even after the relaxation of Swiss banking secrecy, Switzerland is still regarded by the Ndrangheta as easier to infiltrate than other European states, according to Sergi. The clan has also established a foothold in Germany.
Money laundering in photovoltaic systems and football clubs
The most important business field of the Ndrangheta in Switzerland is money laundering, says the expert. Illegally obtained money is fed into the legal economic cycle through companies and enterprises. This is no longer limited to restaurant operations. Carmelo M. allegedly attempted to invest in photovoltaic systems and football clubs. "You can launder much more money that way than with a restaurant," says Sergi. And an investment in a football club also provides direct access to the local elite.
The principle of expansion is similar to that of other migrants: arrive, advance, first take over a kiosk, then a larger business. The crucial difference is the well-integrated Italian population in Switzerland, which often becomes the first target. "Many Italians in Switzerland lack the necessary antibodies against organised crime," says Sergi. She calls for better education – not only of Italians, but also of the Swiss population.
Transit country for drugs and weapons
Switzerland also plays a role in the drug and weapons trade, Sergi confirms – primarily as a transit country. Weapons are smuggled southwards, to Calabria or further to Africa. Drugs flow northwards, towards Germany and Belgium. At the same time, Switzerland itself is a significant market for cocaine.
The Ndrangheta is among the most important criminal organisations in the transatlantic cocaine trade. Its clans act as financiers: they provide the capital at the beginning of the supply chain and collect at the end. The actual logistics between producers, brokers, transporters and money launderers are often handled by other criminal groups. The smuggling sometimes runs through Italian ports such as Gioia Tauro, Genoa or Livorno, but can also be handled directly via Spain or other European countries, according to Sergi.
Clan not finished despite arrests
Carmelo M. was arrested as part of a large-scale anti-Ndrangheta investigation. Dozens of clan members have already been convicted in Calabria; boss Rocco Anello received a twenty-year prison sentence. Is the Anello clan weakened as a result?
Sergi firmly denies this. A clan always calculates the arrest or murder of the boss and has a succession plan in place. Rocco Anello will continue to make important decisions from prison. The special detention conditions for mafiosi in Italy make communication difficult, but do not make it impossible. Meanwhile, a representative appointed by the boss takes over day-to-day operations – a kind of internal managing director.
---
Carmelo M. is presumed innocent before the court until a final judgment is reached. The full name is abbreviated for legal reasons.
Source: NZZ