In Italy, the introduction of the offence of mafia associations was accompanied by measures concerning patrimonial restrictions (seizure and confiscation of assets accumulated by those recognized as belonging to the mafia). It was a formidable instrument, which aimed to remove the symbol of their power of “mafiosi”, i.e. the wealth acquired by the offence and shown as sign of arrogance, an additional factor of intimidation to the society.

The attention of the National Antimafia Directorate has been focused on the phenomena of human trade, because we distinguish in it the formation of new criminal entities capable of supporting those traditional Italian mafia organizations. One can distinguish two categories: sedentary mafias, i.e. the gangs of foreign origin who settled and operate on Italian territory (Albanian, Chinese and Nigerian mafia). The “non-resident” mafias are those who maintain their headquarters in their countries of origin, from where they operate through activities which are also on our territory (Russian, Turkish and Colombian mafia). However, these definitions are under constant review as developments of phenomena.

In Italy, those criminal organizations settled on territories which were not occupied by the Italian mafias, or in sectors that these did not practice, among which trade in human being has become the most important. Traditional mafia prefer to entrust activities such as “mercenary” to “faithful” groups, specializing in various sectors of interest, not a sign of disinterest on their part, but ordinary caution on the part of the entrepreneur. With as result a growing difficulty to identify and punish criminal situations that take place on distant scenes, and to identify illegal assets after these endless forms that the financial recycling operations on the international scene can take.

Examples presented here concern mainly the ndrangheta. Its particular propensity to mobility and its ability to reproduce the same organizational model throughout the world as the one that prevails in their land of origin, have now transform it into the most powerful Italian criminal network.

There is a danger that synergies established by the various mafias allow them to seized the opportunity to coordinate operative lines, amend their organizational characters and operational methods, unify lines and recycling methods, combine their respective economic and military powers.

The NATO seminar in Sofia is particularly useful because it helps understand that we still know very little about the modality of relations between the traditional and foreign mafias, and to get conscious about how necessary it is that countries taking part of the European Union and the NATO immediately put in place research projects on these trends and collusion in progress.