Billions of dollars in illicit profits were raked in last year by nearly 200 Mafia clans in Italy. Nothing new you might say. But this money, upwards of $30 billion US, was made by focusing on specific criminal activities whose profit potential stems directly from their abuse of the environment.
The number of crimes involving illegal garbage and hazardous waste disposal was up almost 40 percent.
Organised crime has been strong in Naples where a garbage disposal feud has repeatedly filled the streets with refuse and prompted riots.
In a sign that illegal waste dumps are taking their toll on the local population, a medical study last year showed residents near Naples were more susceptible to some cancers than the average Italian.
Recent Comments