Police have identified more than 5000 members of the legendary Italian mafia who are all living in Australia to conduct their illicit business thanks to a Trojan horse app used by authorities to infiltrate some of the world’s most dangerous criminal gangs.
A year after their secret software AN0M helped them conduct one of the largest and most significant crackdowns on organised crime in history, the Australian Federal Police is investigating 51 Italian organized crime clans, including 14 from the infamous ‘Ndrangheta mafia.
Following last year’s Operation Ironside, which was largely based on data obtained through the encrypted app AN0M, the AFP now has a big database of mafia members living in Australia.
With three detected in Sydney and 14 purportedly operating in regional NSW, NSW has the highest number of Italian crime clans.
Victoria has 14, South Australia has nine, the ACT has five, Western Australia has four, and Queensland has two.
The clans operate across the country and collaborate with a variety of organized crime organizations, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, Middle Eastern gangs, Asian triads, and South American cartels.
In a desperate attempt to undermine the global networks of Italian organized crime, police are now collaborating with Colombian, US, and Italian law enforcement agencies.
The AFP now has an extensive file on mafia members living Down Under after last year’s Operation Ironside, which was largely built on data taken from the encrypted app AN0M.
NSW is home to highest number of Italian crime clans with three found in Sydney and 14 allegedly conducting their business in regional NSW.
There are 14 in Victoria, nine in South Australia, five in the ACT, four in Western Australia and two in Queensland.
The clans operate nationwide and work closely with a wide range of organised crime groups including outlaw bikies, Middle Eastern gangs, Asian triads and South American cartels.
Police are now working with Colombian, US and Italian law enforcement authorities in a desperate bid to disrupt Italian organised crimes’ global networks.
Our picture of the clans is continuing to grow, but intelligence suggests their overall membership could potentially be similar to that of patched members in Australian outlaw motorcycle gangs. That shows how subterranean and significant the ‘Ndrangheta are in Australia,’ AFP Assistant Commissioner crime command Nigel Ryan said in a statement.
Our intelligence, new powers under the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act 2021, our world-leading capabilities and our international networks are beginning to remove the cloak of secrecy that has allowed members of the ‘Ndrangheta to operate in Australia with impunity for too many years.’
Mr Ryan told reporters on Tuesday many alleged members had managed to stay under the radar by living modest lives in modest homes and allegedly invested their illegitimate wealth into construction, agricultural and catering businesses.
The ‘Ndrangheta mafia from Calabria in southern Italy is a particular focus for the AFP, which has been assessing the familial relationships, through blood and marriage, of the clan in Australia with the help of Italian authorities.
‘The ‘Ndrangheta are not just an Australian problem – they are a global problem and they are responsible for trafficking 70 per cent of the world’s cocaine. In Australia, they are also responsible for cannabis and methamphetamine trafficking,’ Mr Ryan said.
‘During Operation Ironside, law enforcement charged a number of ‘Ndrangheta members, some who were taking their orders from bosses in Calabria.
‘The ‘Ndrangheta are flooding Australia with illicit drugs and are pulling the strings of Australian outlaw motorcycle gangs, who are behind some of the most significant violence in our communities.
‘They have become so powerful in Australia that they almost own some OMCG’s, who will move drugs around for their ‘Ndrangheta financiers, or carry out acts of violence on behalf of the ‘Ndrangheta.’
Wednesday marks the first anniversary of Operation Ironside, Australia’s biggest ever organised crime bust, which led to hundreds of arrests through AN0M, a Trojan horse app the underworld was tricked into using.
More than 300 AN0M handsets were uncovered in Italy during last year’s raids with a number of them provided by Australians.
Data obtained from AN0M has given police an unprecedented insight into the mafia clans and how they operate.
Of the more than 1000 arrests worldwide, 383 were in Australia and ranged from alleged mafia bosses, senior bikies to airport workers and other insiders.
They were charged with 2340 offences in Australia while more than 6.3 tonnes of illicit drugs, 147 weapons and firearms and $55 million in cash were seized.
Of the arrests, 42 offenders charged under Operation Ironside have already pleaded guilty or have been sentenced.
Of four arrests in recent weeks, three were allegedly linked to the ‘Ndrangheta and were accused of being involved in a plot to import 1.2 tonnes of cocaine from Ecuador.
The AFP has invited law enforcement authorities from Italy, Colombia, and the United States to work together to locate and prosecute ‘Ndrangheta members.
Other international criminal groups have been warned as well.
‘You will be targeted by the AFP if you are a member of a cartel located in Mexico, a triad based in Asia, or an outlaw motorcycle gang based in Australia, and your illegal behavior has an impact on Australians,’ Mr Ryan warned.
‘Every day, multi-millions of dollars are laundered in Australia on behalf of illegal drug gangs.’ Because it subverts, exploits, and distorts lawful markets and institutions, money laundering is a severe danger to Australia’s national security.
‘If we don’t cut off the head and tail of organized crime, we fear living in a very different Australia,’ the Assistant Commissioner later told reporters.
Due to years of operating under the radar, he stated that destroying the ‘Ndrangheta in Australia will be a long and difficult task.
‘They’ve managed to keep under the radar by leading simple lifestyles in simple homes.’ They combine their illicit funds with those from their legitimate construction, agricultural, or catering businesses, making it more difficult to not only detect but also establish criminal activity,’ Mr Ryan explained.
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The Italians have been able to slip under the radar for many, many years, as evidenced by what we’ve seen on the platform Anom during Operation Ironside.
‘The Italians have been in Australia since the early 1920s, and their business practices have evolved over time, allowing them to legitimize their ill-gotten wealth in numerous ways.’ As a result, this is a clear message to Italian organized crime that they are on our radar.’
He said that Italian crime gangs have been operating in Australia for a century and are active in regional regions such as Griffith in southern New South Wales.
‘We’ve seen the familial blood lines, and there’s been a lot of marrying into blood lines in that period.’ In connection to this country, we see the same names all the time,’ Assistant Commissioner Ryan added.
The Italians have undoubtedly established themselves in regional areas. Griffith was one of them. Originally, many Italians established themselves in agricultural-related industries, which served as a means of concealing some of their illegal income.
‘I think what we’re actually doing here is they’ve been able to operate in darkness for so long that we’re shining a light on it.’