Italy’s No. 2 Cop Says France, Germany Have Mafia Problem Too

Italy’s deputy police chief is urging European partners including Germany, France and the U.K. to improve their defenses against mafia takeovers of businesses weakened by the pandemic, warning of a spread of organized crime across the continent.

Italian security forces have sought to shine a spotlight on the tactics of crime groups during the pandemic, Vittorio Rizzi said in an interview, pointing to a 10% increase in the number of companies sanctioned with anti-mafia bans between March 2020 and February 2021.