The Mafia's Affinity for Germany Explained

Coordinated raids against 'ndrangheta organized crime syndicate across Europe this week attracted international headlines and generated explosive insider stories about the details of the investigation. Germany has long had a reputation as a safe haven for organized crime. Although German police cooperated in the investigation, and some arrests were carried out in Germany, these were enforced under an international arrest warrant filed by the Italian authorities. Germany remains a very cash-friendly economy, making it extremely easy for mafia groups to launder money in Germany. The fact that organized crime groups have been taking advantage of this through opaque networks of shell companies has been public knowledge since 2016 when the Panama Papers were leaked.