Hidden Mafia machinations in Germany’s former East | DW Documentary

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the former East opened up - and the Italian Mafia moved in. In the decades since, they have built up a criminal network in the former East Germany. This investigative documentary traces their origins back 30 years.

To uncover the Mafia’s efforts to infiltrate entire East German cities and regions, the filmmakers traveled to the infamous 'Ndrangheta clan's base in Calabria, southern Italy. There, they met police officers and prosecutors, and researched economic databases and land registry offices. They also analyzed thousands of pages of German and Italian investigation documents.

In the process, they uncovered a major, still unknown anti-Mafia case against the 'Ndrangheta in East Germany. Almost 20 years ago, investigators eavesdropped on a powerful 'Ndrangheta cell in the East. The secret surveillance provided key insights into the Mafia organization in the German states of Thuringia and Saxony.

The film describes how difficult it is to investigate the 'Ndrangheta and other Italian Mafia groups. Despite years of cooperation between Italy and Germany, organized crime structures are still active in East Germany today. The criminals have lost none of their power to threaten democracy and social cohesion.

#documentary #freedocumentary #mafia #Germany
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