The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has announced that it will target Italian organized crime and money laundering syndicates operating in or through Australia, especially the ‘Ndrangheta. This announcement comes a year after the AFP-led Operation Ironside revealed vital intelligence about such syndicates.
The ‘Ndrangheta account for the trafficking of 70% of the world’s cocaine. For years, the ‘Ndrangehta have operated in Australia with secrecy. Australian ‘Ndrangheta launder the proceeds of their crimes by using legitimate businesses, including restaurants and construction companies.
The AFP acknowledges that disrupting the ‘Ndrangheta in Australia is a challenging undertaking. As such, it is collaborating with various law enforcement authorities from Italy, Colombia and the US. The authority is also using the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act 2021 to identify members of the ‘Ndrangheta in Australia. In fact, the AFP has already identified 14 ‘Ndrangheta clans in the country. In the future, the AFP intends to target the syndicates’ finances, operations as well as communications.
Source: Australian Federal Police
