On the 8th of March an operation of the Provincial Command of Reggio Calabria and Ros (Italian Operative Special Unit), together with the police headquarter of Reggio Calabria, led to the formalisation of 34 ordinances of custody in jail, six of whom in Germany.

Authorities have been executed other seven ordinances, five of whom in Canada and Australia.

It is the second part of the operation “Il Crimine” (The Crime) that, in July 2010, led to 304 preventive measures in coordination between the Dda (Antimafia District Unit) of Reggio Calabria and Milan, and enabled to identify the structure of the organisation.

Until then, the structure was unknown, multi-level, strongly hierarchical and tightly bound to territory control, with figures of different ranking interconnected to create a feudal-like power system.

At the head of the scheme is a key figure elected during the celebration of the Santissima Madonna della Montagna di Polsi (a Saint particularly adored in Calabria) - to mix sacred and profane, searching under the mantle of religion protection and authoritativeness.

Before the operation, ‘ndrangheta was considered a confederation of clans.The investigation enabled moreover to ascertain the links of ‘ndrangheta in North Italy, especially in Turin and Genoa.

But ‘ndrangheta is a transnational phenomenon too; therefore it must not marvel that, among the people under investigation, there is also the former mayor of the Australian city of Stirling, Tony Vallelonga. Vallelonga, native of Nardodipace (Vibo Valentia, Italy), emigrated in Australia more than 30 years ago and has been mayor of Stirling for nine years, from 1996 to 2005.

«The operation confirms that ‘ndrangheta is the first very global mafia - says Francesco Forgione, author and former President of the Italian Antimafia Commission -. Everywhere it arrives, it settles its structures replicating a model which is organisational, economical and cultural. This is a key matter: if we do not reflect upon these cultural factors we will not be able to carry out significative contrast strategies against ‘ndrangheta».

In the course of the investigaton Vallelonga has been wiretapped while discussing about the Australian ‘ndrangheta operative structure with the boss Giuseppe Commisso. The inquiry ascertained moreover the presence in Australia of several “locali” (essential organisational structures).

«The heart of ‘ndrangheta remains Calabria and Aspromonte - continues Forgione -. When an Australian mayor comes to receive orders from his head of clan in Siderno, it means that the model is global but at the same time deeply debtor of the decisional core of Calabria and Aspromonte».

In Germany, the operaton led to the arrest of six people belonging to the “locale” of Singen and Frankfurt, where a ‘ndrangheta structure called “Società” (Society) was active, led by Bruno Nesci.

Nesci reffered directly to Domenico Oppedisano, arrested in July 2010 in the first Operazione Crimine. The phone tappings revealed the existence of two criminal groups: the first one led by Nesci, the other one led by a still unidentified figure nicknamed as “The Swiss”. Between the two groups some frictions seem to have been in progress, due to territory control matters.

In this view, Nesci seemed to be authorized to act in autonomous ways being legitimated to exert his role by Oppedisano.

«The homologation of criminal codes is a matter of extreme urgency - says Antonio Nicaso, writer and one the main international ‘ndrangheta experts -. Mafias do not have boundaries, contrary to laws and comptences of police forces. We talk a lot about international collaboration, but often the rogatories are not taken in consideration and remain closed in drawers. The offence of criminal conspiracy is not recognised by other jurisdictions other than Italy, so no one court will grant the extradiction of foreign citizens charged of criminal conspiracy».