Did ’Ndrangheta Mafia Infiltrate Canadian Banks?

The Organized Crime and Reporting Project claimed this week that Italy's notorious ’Ndrangheta Mafia infiltrated two major Canadian banks and explains how it was done.

What is the 'Ndrangheta Mafia?

The 'Ndrangheta is an Italian Mafia-type association based in the peninsular region of Calabria and dating back to the 19th century.  They are widely considered among the most powerful organized crime groups in the world today having influence in local politics and legal sectors of the Italian economy.

Activities are said to include cocaine smuggling, deals with human trafficking, sex trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering, racketeering, extortion, loan sharking and - of course - gambling. 

Key Findings in the Canadian Bank Infiltration Claims

From The Organized Crime and Reporting Project:

• An alleged faction of the ’Ndrangheta led by an Italian immigrant to Canada, Angelo Figliomeni, appears to have had close relationships with employees at the Royal Bank of Canada and TD. Figliomeni declined to comment and the charges against him were stayed.
• Two bankers were found to have helped launder proceeds of a crime, according to court filings.
• The RBC banker charged with money laundering with his bank having spotted suspicious transactions linked to him.
• The TD employee has been linked to the Figliomeni group, via Italian police surveillance records.

Figliomeni had sent an associate to make a deposit into his account at the Royal Bank of Canada, but there was less cash than expected.

Police suspected deposits were part of a steady flow of “pay up” funds –– payments from members of the alleged criminal group to their boss.

Also Infiltrated Malta's i-Gambling Sector

Italian Guardia di Finanza officials executed seizures of corporate assets, trusts, and financial holdings linked to a Malta-registered society involved in the online gambling and betting sector back in January.

The €400 million seizures were part of the ‘Operation Galaxy’ investigation, first announced in May of last year.  It demonstrated how the ‘Ndrangheta mafia’s infiltration into the lucrative gambling industry.

The entrepreneur at the centre of the operation, Antonio Ricci.

From Next.io:

Operation Galaxy was first announced in May last year, with police confiscating €3m following an initial investigation.

The seizures come just days after the publication of Malta’s latest AML risk report, in which it highlighted the potential threat of organised crime-linked entities attaining control of registered iGaming companies.

The extent of the past or current levels of mob infiltration into Maltese iGaming is unknown. However, in recent years the Italian police have uncovered multiple businesses linked to various mafia organisations.

This month, a left-wing European Parliament MEP released a report which alleged that organised crime has laundered billions of euros through the Mediterranean island since its emergence as an online gambling hub.

- Alejandro Botticelli, Gambling911.com