Beyond business mafias, beyond Italy: a map of the risk factors of organized crime’s infiltration in companies in Europe

Abstract

This paper – based on the main findings of the MORE research project – analyses the main patterns of organised crime infiltration in European businesses. By means of an analysis of tens of judicial documents collected in all the 28 EU countries, equivalent to about 950 infiltrated firms, the study studies (a) the main ‘sentinel crimes’ of infiltration; (b) the strategies adopted by criminal groups to control and manage firms; and (c) the key risk factors facilitating criminal infiltration – first of all cash intensity and business ownership opacity. Despite the legislative and cultural differences, the analysis highlights many common elements between mafia infiltration cases and those referring to other countries and criminal groups. Among them, the strict link between organised crime and ‘satellite economic crimes’ such as false invoicing, document forgery, public and private corruption. Keywords: organised crime; mafia; infiltration; money laundering; Europe