The 'Ndrangheta: Versatile Middlemen in the Cocaine Pipeline to Europe

[Judi Lynn]

2. Cocaine Brokers: The Flexible Backbone of the 'Ndrangheta Trafficking Empire

ARGENTINA
/23 NOV 2022 BY DOUWE DEN HELD

Rocco Morabito could see beachfront bars from his hotel room in João Pessoa, in the Brazilian state of Paraíba. He could feel the breeze dancing in off the Atlantic Ocean, swimmers paddling the blue waters, and sunbathers enjoying the golden sands.

But when authorities tracked him down in May 2021, Morabito was trapped inside his hotel. As a prominent member of the 'Ndrangheta's Morabito clan and Italy's second-most wanted man, he could not afford to take risks.

Morabito had helped the 'Ndrangheta bolster its connections with South American cocaine suppliers, aiding the Italian mafia group's rise as one of Europe's most powerful trafficking organizations.

However, despite Morabito's important role in the 'Ndrangheta, his time on the lam hadn't majorly disrupted its operations. The network of clans that make up the 'Ndrangheta act largely independently of one another, meaning the structure as a whole is highly resilient to the loss of even top-level players.

More:
https://insightcrime.org/investigations/cocaine-brokers-flexible-backbone-ndrangheta-trafficking-empire/