Mafia, money-laundering and the battle against criminal capital: the Italian case

Purpose - This paper aims to look at the case of Italy, which clearly stands out in its relationship with organised crime. The recognition that money is the “lifeblood” of OC has resulted in the implementation of what we can refer to as the anti-money laundering (AML) regime, which backs the systematic targeting of mafia assets and the application of severe obstacles to the concealment of dirty money through increased financial surveillance. This paper discusses the financialisation of counter-mafia strategies, with the purpose of questioning the extent to which this system has been delivering what it promised. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is divided into three chapters. The first chapter looks at the relationship between Italian mafia and dirty money. The second chapter discusses the rationale and pillars of the AML regime. Finally, the last section examines and discusses recent evidence of the outcome of AML policies, by looking at figures as reported by relevant entities, such as the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Europol, the Italian Ministry of Interior and the Direzione Investigativa Anti-Mafia (DIA). Findings - Evidence suggests that financial surveillance, the first pillar of the AML regime, is much costlier than it is beneficial to society. Reporting of suspicions has rocketed in the past years, bringing very little change to yearly ML convictions, and being only marginally helpful in mafia-related investigations, confiscations and arrests. The confiscation of assets from mafia members, i.e. the second pillar of the AML regime, has proven to be effective in gaining control over large sums and goods. However, more research is needed around the question of confiscated asset-management and desirable re-investment opportunities. Originality/value - As the AML regime gains in prominence internationally, it is of great value to assess its achievements so far. This is especially true of a country like Italy, which suffers from a long-standing mafia dominance. This paper represents a modest initial inquiry, which will hopefully be complemented by future research to come to an in-depth understanding of the value and limitations of an AML regime in fighting OC.