A huge trial is set to take place in Calabria, Italy, perhaps the largest of its kind. A total of 355 people are suspected of being involved in the ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate. These individuals will face a judge this week, with suspects facing a variety of infractions including operating illegal casinos and sportsbooks. The group is also believed to be connected to Wirecard, which is a payment processing company that bombed, losing $3 billion dollars in the process.
The trial is so crazy that extra precautions are being taken to keep the city safe as well as those involved. Police and security are everywhere. Nicola Gratteri is the public prosecutor in the case, who has been working for more than three decades to stop organized crime in the country. He has had police protection throughout his career due to the high-profile cases he works on.
Reports say that the syndicate has been in charge of over 80 online gambling sites and more than 1,500 betting shops. These operations are of course, illegal. The group has also been suspected of trafficking cocaine and illegal arms along with supporting a refugee center located in Europe.
Efforts have been made in the past to stop the activity, including shutting down the gambling operations. In the past, such efforts have failed. However, this time around, the prosecutors have help from Emanuele Mancuso. He is the sone of the one of the mob bosses within the syndicate. Mancuso is providing assistance to the government to build a case. He is also under police protection.
Because the trial involves so much corruption and a massive number of people, a traditional court room would not suffice. Instead, the case will be heard in a call center that has been converted to create a court room. This large space will allow everyone involved to be in the courtroom at one time.
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