Italian Authorities Unravel Major Mafia Fraud Scheme Involving 70 Suspects

BRESCIA, Italy — Authorities uncovered a significant mafia-linked fraud scheme involving approximately 70 individuals and several companies in a sweeping operation conducted on February 13, 2025. The investigation, led by the Guardia di Finanza’s Economic and Financial Police Unit and the Central Criminal Investigation Service, targeted a criminal organization engaged in tax fraud through the use of fake invoices.

The fraudulent scheme, which is estimated to have generated over 8.5 million euros, employs a sophisticated method of issuing invoices for nonexistent transactions. As part of the operation, preventive seizures were executed across numerous Italian provinces, including Brescia, Turin, and Milan, as well as in Spain and Switzerland, with support from international law enforcement agencies.

Prosecutor Francesco Prete remarked on the situation, stating, “We are facing entrepreneurs who are no longer victims of the ’ndrangheta but allies, seeking them out to jointly defraud the tax authorities.” The investigation revealed that a violent power struggle between various ’ndrangheta clans had emerged, as different factions vied for control over the illicit invoice trade in the region.

General Quintavalle of the Guardia di Finanza highlighted that a potential armed conflict was averted through a payment of 80,000 euros. This incident underscores the severity of the ongoing conflict over control of the fraudulent operations in the area.

The investigation began in June 2019, focusing on a mafia association based in the province of Reggio Calabria. Initially, the organization targeted another criminal group operating in the industrial district of Northern Italy that had been active since 2017.

Over time, the new criminal group employed various tactics to supplant their competitors, including a simulated robbery targeting a courier who was collecting approximately 600,000 euros in cash — the proceeds from the fake invoices produced for clients primarily located within Milan’s Chinatown.

The extensive inquiry leveraged modern investigation techniques, including surveillance, bank checks, and cash seizures, which totaled approximately 450,000 euros intended for the Reggio Calabria clans. The investigation also uncovered that the mafia group had set up over 30 companies across various countries, including Bulgaria, Hungary, and Croatia, to facilitate the fraudulent activities.

Authorities reported that more than 365 million euros worth of fake invoices related to plastic goods trading were issued to compliant businesses, predominantly in Brenza and Mantova provinces. Multiple searches are currently underway in Italy and abroad, supported by specialized canine units for detecting drugs and cash, alongside military personnel trained in anti-terrorism and rapid response.