The Court of Italy's Reggio Calabria has issued its first judicial decision in a massive ’Ndrangheta trial, following requests by 76 defendants for a shortened procedure. The suspects were convicted of participating in a mafia-style organized crime group and taking part in an international drug trafficking network, receiving a total of 1,098 years in prison and 440,000 euros ($510,650) in fines, Eurojust said Tuesday.
The case stems from a 2023 multinational operation involving authorities from Belgium, Germany, Portugal, France, Spain, Romania, Slovenia, Brazil and Panama, coordinated with support from Eurojust and Europol. Investigators dismantled a network led by several ’Ndrangheta families based mainly in San Luca, which Eurojust said is responsible for much of Europe’s cocaine trade and systematic money laundering.
Officials said the investigation was complicated by the suspects’ use of encrypted messaging services EncroChat and Sky ECC. On May 3, 2023, more than 2,700 officers conducted coordinated raids, seizing multiple companies and arresting 132 members of the network. Eurojust and Europol coordinated information sharing, joint investigation teams and operational support during the action day, ensuring the operation’s success.
