Europol has supported an international operation targeting a criminal network linked to the Italian mafia-type organisation Camorra. The operation, coordinated by the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office and the Stuttgart Public Prosecutor’s Office, resulted in the execution of six arrest warrants and simultaneous searches of 16 residential and commercial properties across Germany, Italy, and Spain. In Germany, two illegally held pistols with ammunition were seized, as well as counterfeit euro banknotes of Italian origin linked to the so-called “Napoli Group”. Furthermore, the officers in the field seized 16 phone mobiles and storage devices.

The investigation began with the arrest of a 47-year-old Italian national in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in November 2021, following an international arrest warrant issued by Italian authorities. He was accused of Camorra membership and involvement in counterfeiting, money laundering, and drug trafficking. Extradited to Italy in 2022, he was subsequently released but remained in contact with other suspects, including individuals running restaurants in Stuttgart, Germany, suspected of facilitating illicit trade.

Investigators pieced together the criminal network involving five Italian suspects and one Turkish suspect. The group is accused of producing and supplying high-quality counterfeit euro banknotes to criminal organisations in Germany and Spain for further distribution. The investigation uncovered that that several hundred thousand counterfeit notes were circulated in this manner. 

Six arrests and significant seizures

Six arrest warrants were executed during the coordinated actions, with five suspects now in pre-trial detention and one released subject to judicial conditions. Law enforcement officers simultaneously searched 16 properties in Stuttgart, the Rems-Murr district (Germany), Naples (Italy), and Gran Canaria (Spain). Seizures include firearms, drugs, counterfeit money, as well as mobile phones and other data storage devices.

Europol deployed two experts to Naples and Stuttgart to provide technical support, cross-check operational information against Europol’s databases and the European Central Bank’s systems, and facilitate financial analysis to support the investigation. The investigation has been supported by the @ON Network which is funded by the EU and led by the Italian Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate (DIA).