"The world is not prepared": Italian and Brazilian authorities warn about organized crime in the digital environment

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "We are not prepared, in the international arena, to combat organized crime in the digital environment." With this warning, the Public Prosecutor in Naples, Nicola Gratteri, drew the attention of participants at the 12th International Week of Magna Grecia, on Thursday (24), in Rio de Janeiro.  

The meeting focused on the debate about the new modus operandi of criminal organizations, which use the internet and new technologies to expand their illicit activities. Gratteri warned about the ease with which criminals find and trade illicit products on the dark web, from drugs and weapons of war to human trafficking. The prosecutor also pointed to the change in drug trafficking routes, with the port of Ecuador gaining prominence in relation to the port of Santos.

Michelle Carbone, who heads the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate (DIA) of Italy, emphasized the mafia's ability to adapt to new technologies and globalization, which allows them to operate on a global scale and commit crimes that transcend geographical borders. He highlighted the challenge represented by crypto-activities, where the action of criminals is global, while laws and the application of justice are still local.  

The Secretary of Public Security of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Victor César dos Santos, stressed the transnational nature of digital crime and its impact in Brazil, where organized crime moved R$ 348.1 billion in 2024, ranging from drug trafficking to crimes related to fuels and other services.  

The event's participants advocated the need for a holistic approach and international cooperation to combat organized crime also in cyberspace. The president of the Magna Grecia Foundation, Nino Foti, highlighted the importance of collaboration between Italy and Brazil in this effort.

The event also included the participation of Brazilian and Italian authorities, such as Congressman Francesco Romano, who addressed the challenges of digitalization in public administration, and experts such as Antonio Nicaso, who analyzed the rapid adaptation of criminal organizations such as the PCC and the 'Ndrangheta to the use of cryptocurrencies and other technologies.  

"There was a notorious case of a hacker attack on the security systems of the port of Antwerp, in Belgium, an important hub for international drug trafficking," he exemplified.

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