In the early hours of today's morning, personnel of the Flying Squad and of the Investigation Section of the Central Operational Service of Genoa (SISCO) of the State Police carried out an order for the application of precautionary measures issued by the Judge for preliminary investigations at the Court of Genoa , at the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office - District Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate, against nine people (the Genoa Police Headquarters is now authorized to disclose their names) living in Genoa and in the province of Alessandria (three recipients of the coercive custody measure in prison, three recipients of the restrictive measure of house arrest and three of the obligation to stay). One of those arrested was sentenced in 2006 with a final sentence to five years and four months' imprisonment, as he was recognized as a participant in a mafia-type association present in the Genoa area.
The crimes, committed from 2019 until April 2022, for which the judge for preliminary investigations (partially) accepted the request for the application of precautionary measures advanced by the Public Prosecutor are aggravated usury, abusive exercise of betting, criminal conspiracy aimed at illegal organization of bets, self-laundering (for sums equal to 85.645,10 euros, perpetrated by betting systematically and through the mechanism of "hedge bets" on sporting events using legitimate channels).
Some of the suspects were originally charged with the crime of extortion and the aggravating circumstances provided for by the art. 416-bis.1 of the Criminal Code (both not recognized by the GIP) for having, as regards the aforementioned aggravating circumstance, committed the act by making use, in some cases, of the so-called "mafia method" and in order to facilitate the activity of the mafia association called " Fiandaca family”, as well as the crimes of usury and association aimed at the illegal collection of bets
The alleged usury crimes were perpetrated against:
- of two members (one of whom suffers from gambling problems) of a family that owns various restaurants in Genoa (recipients of loans amounting to a total of 25.000 euros, for which interest rates of 53% were requested for the loan of 10.000 euros, as well as 10% monthly, then reduced to 3,3% for the loan of 15.000 euros),
- of the owner of an apartment, intending to sell it, but who was having difficulties in negotiations for the sale due to the pending (based on what emerged during the investigations) of an enforcement procedure weighing on the property and therefore requiring prompt availability of a sum of money that would have allowed him to free him, allowing his transfer (recipient of the loan of 10.000 euros against a requested interest rate of 8,33% monthly),
- -of a fruit and vegetable street vendor, in precarious economic conditions, which did not allow him to procure the goods to resell at retail (recipient of the loan of 12.000 euros against a requested interest rate of 10% per month).
Some of the suspects are accused of having created a complex system for collecting bets on sporting events, managed via WhatsApp groups (called “Biz – Ste, “Tranzillo”). The system was an alternative to the legal one which can be accessed by betting at a betting agency authorized by the State to collect money or via an authorized site. Bettors could play by making bets on sporting events, accruing a debt corresponding to the sum they had bet. Some players, in the event of a loss, became so indebted that they were unable to repay the sums of money they gambled.
During the investigation, the managers of three betting agencies in Genoa were also identified, for which search decrees were issued. The managers involved are believed to be part of the illegal bet collection system and used the agencies to disguise the more profitable illicit traffic.
One of the suspects for whom a precautionary custody order was issued in prison is also the recipient of a preventive seizure order for an amount equal to the value of the illicit profits achieved over time, equal to approximately seven hundred thousand euros.
