Mafia violence increases in the same Italian region where G7 leaders will meet

Rome () – Almost at the same time that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that the G7 leaders’ meeting would be held in the Apulia region of southern Italy, within the framework of her country’s presidency of the economic organization, local researchers from The fight against the mafia focused on three mafia-type criminal groups allegedly responsible for an uptick in violence in the area.

According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior’s semi-annual report, published in January 2024, these groups were showing worrying signs of trouble.

The prevalence of recorded crime “reflects the dynamism of criminal balances and structures marked not only by conflicts between opposing clans, but also by friction between clans,” the report states.

The groups are offshoots of the Sacra Corona crime syndicate, centered around the city of Foggia and made up of crime families grouped into clans.

Unlike the better-known Cosa Nostra of Sicily, the Camorra of Naples and the ‘Ndrangheta of Calabria, which have a wide international presence, the Apulian groups They operate mainly in Italy and the Balkans, according to DIGOS (Divisione Investigazioni Generali e Operazioni Speciali), Italy’s main anti-terrorist and anti-mafia unit.

Based in and around the coastal cities of Bari and Brindisi—virtually where the world’s most powerful leaders will meet between June 13 and 15—the groups have been mowing down their enemies in brazen attacks in plain light. of the day and carrying out armed carjackings at an alarming rate.

According to local media, there have been several revenge killings between the clans in recent months, as well as several mutilations, including knee mutilations.

But that’s not all. In March, an abandoned briefcase was found at a train station near Bari, along with bottles of liquid and a mobile phone. Since then, bomb threats have been received almost daily.

There have also been armed assaults by criminal gangs in villas near the summit venue – an exclusive tourist resort between Bari and Brindisi – and blatant gang violence between the three clans, the head of the Local police, Vittorio Pisani.

The Ministry of the Interior suggested deploying the Army to regain control of the region “for the good of the country.” The report led to an investigation of several local councils, three of which were dissolved by the regional governor due to mafia infiltration and the use of extortion to maintain control of territory by criminal groups.

Italian mafia groups have a reputation for infiltrating legitimate projects, including construction projects, of which there have been many to prepare the venues for the next summit. According to DIGOS, road works, the construction of heliports so that leaders can travel safely, and even the press center have been investigated. A full report is expected once the summit is over, a DIGOS spokesperson told .

Days before the G7 begins, local authorities face a delicate challenge in trying to balance the security of world leaders with maintaining local public order, according to Brindisi prefect Luigi Carnevale.

“No one could foresee that on the eve of the G7, scheduled for June 13 to 15, Apulia, where meetings between powerful world leaders will be held, would be affected by criminal events that, although not related to each other, make it even more complex. security management,” he declared in a televised press conference.

Apulia, in the heel of Italy’s boot, is known for its ancient olive trees, its white conical “trullo” houses and its pristine beaches. The summit will be held at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort, a tourist paradise of 30 private villas with private pools and amenities such as a Michelin-starred restaurant that caters to the elite.

From David and Victoria Beckham to Madonna and Ivanka Trump, celebrities have been coming for years, thanks to the guarantee of discretion offered by the complex’s director, Aldo Melpignano, who told that the location was ideal for the G7.

“Hosting the G7 2024 in Puglia represents an extraordinary recognition for our territory, and is the result of a profitable collaboration between the public and private sectors,” he declared.

The security machinery that will protect the leaders of the world’s most advanced economies is well established, and spearheaded by DIGOS. Preventive “cleaning work” has been underway for almost a year, paying special attention to deterring the establishment of “possible Islamic sleeper cells” by controlling arrivals at airports and seaports, according to the Ministry report. of the Interior.

A 10 kilometer “red zone” has been created around Borgo Egnazia, and another 30 kilometer “yellow zone” will be strictly patrolled to protect the estimated 130 working groups and 21 ministerial meetings that will take place, not to mention to guarantee the safety of special guests such as Pope Francis, who will attend a special summit on artificial intelligence. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud are also expected to join the leaders of the G7 countries: the United States, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Japan.

More than 5,000 specially trained troops have been deployed to the region, huge cruise ships are moored offshore to help keep delegations safe, and a U.S. aircraft carrier is expected to arrive this weekend and anchor off the coast. from Apulia.

The Schengen open border policy, which allows people from other countries in the Schengen area to enter Italy, has been suspended between June 5 and 18 so that border control officers can check passports. In addition to local criminal gangs, authorities are also concerned about the hordes of protesters who appear at each G7 summit, and have called for large-scale protests to be held as close to the summit venue as possible. When Italy hosted the then G8 summit in 2001, a protester died at the hands of the police during violent clashes.

Specialized military police working with the law enforcement anti-mafia unit closely monitor known criminal groups. Nearly 60 people were arrested last month in connection with a drug investigation, putting some of the clans’ alleged leaders out of circulation, at least in the short term.

“It is clear that none of these events will endanger the world’s greats in the slightest, who will be super protected and unapproachable in those three days,” declared Pisani, head of the Apulia Police.

“But it is necessary to guarantee the same tranquility to the approximately 10,000 people who will travel between Bari and Brindisi that week (delegations, journalists, observers) and who will not enjoy the protection of bodyguards and security services.”

At the same time, the Police must guarantee the protection of other areas of the province where “crime could creep in” while attention focuses on Bari, he added.

“It will not be an easy task, because the spotlights of the world will be on Apulia,” said Pisani. “And we cannot allow ourselves to convey the image of a region in which the mafia, terrorism and common crime have taken over.”