The Italian Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Commission approved on 3 November 2026 a report raising alarm over the strengthening of criminal networks in northern Italy and the increasingly consolidated relations between Albanian groups and Italian mafias. The document, titled “Relazione sulla ‘ndrangheta nell’Italia settentrionale.
Geografia del radicamento e nuove modalità operative” (“Report on the ‘Ndrangheta in Northern Italy. Geography of entrenchment and new operating methods”), was approved under the leadership of Chiara Colosimo, chair of the Commission. It describes a significant shift in relations between criminal organisations. According to the report, Albanian groups are no longer seen merely as suppliers or collaborators in drug trafficking.
They are gaining a role in joint criminal agreements and operations. As such, they appear in cooperation structures that also include representatives of the ‘Ndrangheta, Cosa Nostra and Camorra. The report is based on analysis of the document and on the testimony of Italian prosecutors.
One of the main examples of this cooperation is the investigation known as “Hydra”, conducted in the region of Lombardy. This investigation uncovered a cooperation structure between representatives of the ‘Ndrangheta, Cosa Nostra and Camorra, which also included Albanian criminal groups. According to the report, a system of cooperation between criminal organisations has been created in northern Italy.
They share interests in drug trafficking, tax fraud and money laundering. An important role in this matter is played by prosecutor Alessandra Cerreti. She has described the presence of Albanian groups as quiet but continuous and specialised.
This testimony is interpreted as an indication that Albanian groups have gained a more important position in relations with traditional mafia organisations. One of the main conclusions of the report is that the ‘Ndrangheta has changed its way of functioning in Northern Italy. Instead of continuous use of violence and direct territorial control, the organisation is increasingly using economic relations, businesses, companies and financial intermediaries to expand its influence.
According to the report, entrepreneurs in northern Italy are not always merely victims of mafia pressure. In some cases they become clients or partners of criminal organisations, seeking illegal services to gain economic advantages. The document describes this model as a mafia that adapts to the market, penetrates the legal economy and exploits weaknesses in the financial system.
Prosecutor Alessandra Cerreti, referring to the Hydra investigation, has stressed that despite agreements and shared interests, these organisations remain mafia-type. They may use violence, threats or even murder when their interests are harmed. National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo has warned that the relationship between the mafia and the legal economy has moved beyond the traditional concept of infiltration.
It speaks of an increasingly deep intertwining between criminal structures and a part of the economic system. The risk posed by Albanian criminal networks in Italy has also been identified in other international operations. In May 2026, Eurojust announced a joint operation between Albanian and Italian authorities against a network involved in drug trafficking, murder and money laundering.
The operation led to 12 arrests and the identification of a money-laundering scheme involving nearly 1 million euros, transferred from Italy to Albania. According to Eurojust, cooperation between SPAK and Italian authorities has produced more than 170 arrests over the 2018–2026 period and the seizure of more than seven tonnes of narcotics.
The new report of the Italian Anti-Mafia Commission shows that the challenge is no longer linked only to drug trafficking. It is also linked to the intertwining of criminal organisations in business, finance and the economy. Thus, the boundaries between traditional Italian mafias and international networks are becoming increasingly less visible.