Italy and Romania freeze €40 million in assets in major cross-border mafia probe |
Italian and Romanian authorities have carried out a sweeping cross-border operation resulting in the freezing of assets worth more than €40 million, underscoring the growing scale and sophistication of organized crime networks operating across the European Union. The coordinated action, announced on December 17 by Eurojust, the EU’s judicial cooperation agency, targeted property, businesses, and financial holdings allegedly linked to mafia activity spanning multiple jurisdictions.
At the center of the investigation is an Italian suspect described by Eurojust as a former crown witness who is now believed to have re-established connections with some of Sicily’s most notorious criminal organizations. Investigators suspect links to the Santapaola-Ercolano family and the Cappello Bonaccorsi clan-two powerful mafia groups historically rooted in the city of Catania and its surrounding areas. These groups have long been associated with extortion, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and money laundering, and have proven adept at adapting to new financial and technological environments.
According to Eurojust, the suspect is alleged to have used a complex web of assets registered both in his own name and in the names of close relatives to conceal and launder illicit proceeds. The frozen assets include 20 betting and online gaming businesses, extensive real estate holdings, cryptocurrency, vehicles, and cash spread across Italy and Romania. Authorities also froze 20 bank accounts and seized large sums of money believed to be connected to criminal activity.
In total, investigators identified 89 properties located in both countries, highlighting how mafia-linked networks increasingly exploit cross-border........