Pope Francis has condemned mafia groups exploiting the challenges created by the pandemic. He spoke out against the mafia on Italy’s National Day of Remembrance for Innocent Victims of the Mafia.
POPE FRANCIS
Mafias are active in many parts of the world, and they are exploiting the pandemic. They are getting rich off of corruption.
Italian police warn of an increase in mafia-related activity during the pandemic.
Last July, the Anti-Mafia Investigation Department called attention to organized criminal activity during the last lockdown.
GENERAL GIUSEPPE GOVERNALE
Anti-mafia Investigation Department
“The effects of organized crime will be felt in Italy and other European countries where significant economic aid is being distributed. They will be a target for the mafia and they will be a target for another criminal groups seeking to exploit the situation.”
The latest report from Italy’s Anti-mafia Investigation Department shows that organized crime has been taking advantage of the pandemic to manipulate public contracts and extort
money from struggling businesses
During the same period, instances of crime classified as “level 1,” such as kidnappings and robberies fell from 11,000 to 8,700 between 2019 and 2020.
Mafia activity has instead seen an increase in level 2 crime, which concerns attempts to bribe public officials and money laundering.
Javier Romero
