Calabrian expat Antonino Vadalà was already a wealthy man with a successful cattle business in Slovakia when he bought his way into the ‘Ndrangheta, Italy’s most powerful mafia, and opened a new cocaine-trafficking route into southern Europe. Here’s how he did it — and how the cops shut it down.
Read more: The Cocaine Cowboys
One year ago, a killer snuffed out the lives of an investigative journalist working on one of the biggest stories of his career and the woman he intended to marry. In day-by-day detail, OCCRP outlines how the assassinations transpired and what happened in the aftermath.
Read more: How Ján and Martina Died
One year ago, a former policeman slipped into the home investigative journalist Ján Kuciak shared with his fiancee, Martina Kušnírová, and shot them both at close range, authorities say.
Read more: Unfinished Lives, Unfinished Justice
Nenad Popovic, a nationalist Serbian minister known for his ties to the Kremlin, took part in a dubious privatization that drove a major electrical transformer manufacturer into bankruptcy. Years later, no charges have been filed.
Read more: Disastrous Privatization by Influential Serbian Minister Goes Uninvestigated
For almost a decade, corrupt politicians and wealthy businessmen have purchased European passports using dirty money. In January, the European Commission finally delivered its response. But rather than urging action, many of its toughest demands were withdrawn.
The flag of Cyprus, reimagined for the island country’s new investor citizens. Photo: Edin Pasovic / OCCRP
Read more: Strongest Measures Axed in EU Golden Visa Report
Prosecutors say an organized crime group tied to Liviu Dragnea, Romania’s most powerful politician, set up a cross-border fraud scheme that deprived the Romanian state of more than €1 million over a two-year period.
Read more: Romania ‘Snowball’ Scam Deprives Government of Over €1 Million in VAT Revenues
In collaboration with Danwatch, a Danish investigative research center, OCCRP looked into an EU program that provided surveillance gear, patrol vehicles, and other equipment to Belarusian and Ukrainian authorities with the goal of strengthening the two countries’ border on the eastern edge of Europe.
Read more: Euros to the East
Macedonia’s right-wing former ruling party, VMRO-DPMNE, stands accused of a litany of crimes, including illegally purchasing dozens of properties all over the country. OCCRP’s local member center, IRL Macedonia, has the list.
Read more: Macedonian Prosecutor Implicates Former Political Leaders in Money Laundering, Extortion, Illicit...
A tug-of-war over a Russian citizen detained in Greece sheds light on a global struggle over policing the multi-billion-dollar cryptocurrency sector.
Read more: US and Russia Spar Over Accused Crypto-Launderer
Venezuela's economy is in ruins, but there are still fortunes to be made. One of these — estimated to be worth $100 million — is that of a man named Carlos Luis Aguilera Borjas. And he's not just a businessman. For years Aguilera served the country's revolutionary leader, Hugo Chavez, as a bodyguard, later rising to lead its security agency. How did he make his money after leaving the socialist government?
Read more: The Chavez Man and His Millions
