The ‘Ndrangheta, the global hydra of organized crime, has made great efforts to expand operations by acquiring territory or becoming a benefactor and guiding force for lower-level, disorganized criminal elements. The Calabrian crime syndicate has become an undeniable superpower in the criminal underworld. Its focus on migrating and establishing criminal operations, formulating strategic alliances, and monopolizing criminal sectors rather than physical territories has enabled the ‘Ndrangheta to impose a secretive and unbreakable global chain lurking in the shadows.

The Apulian underworld remains a murky group of gangs operating from the Foggia to Salento. The Camorra had initially sought to expand operations into Apulia, but when these plans faltered, the ‘Ndrangheta seized the chance to expand its influence and grasp on Italy. The Apulian ‘Ndrangheta exists as clans have asserted themselves in the area and Apulian gangs have become satellites of the grand ‘Ndrangheta strategy.

While the Foggia-related operations are heavily influenced by the Camorra, the ‘Ndrangheta maintains an unchallengeable grasp on the rest of Apulia. The Sacra Corona Unita and Societa Foggiana are misguided attempts to label disparate criminal gangs within one grouping, but the ‘Ndrangheta and, to a far lesser extent, the Camorra control Apulia. The drug, arms and counterfeit trafficking is mainly controlled by the Calabrian secret society that maintains its superiority in the criminal underworld.

In the countries near Italy, the ‘Ndrangheta has made serious advances in creating bases for operations. Albania has been a profitable and accessible country for drug trafficking, as well as a myriad of other crimes, such as human and arms trafficking. The fifteen recognized organized crime groups in Albania act under the patronage of the Italian ‘Ndrangheta. The financing of Albanian criminal activities by the ‘Ndrangheta enables the Calabrian masters of crime in the shadows to mold the criminal underworld and distance themselves from apprehension and detection.

On the other hand, the ‘Ndrangheta infiltrates governments and liaises with high-level government officials to create partnerships conducive to lucrative criminal operations whenever the Calabrian hydra smells the opportunity. Jan Kuciak’s reporting on the ‘Ndrangheta’s deep roots in the Slovakian government is an eye-opening revelation.

The ‘Ndrangheta’s presence is not only on the street level but also on the macro-economic and top-tier government levels. Jan Kuciak’s investigative journalism uncovered a web of illegal activities between the ‘Ndrangheta and the upper echelons of the Slovak government that enriched everyone involved. Jan Kuciak was killed in a contract killing in 2018, but no clear answers exist as to who was involved or what specifically triggered the reporter and his fiancé’s murders.

Jan Kuciak’s articles pointed to deep collusion between the Calabrian crime syndicate and the highest levels of the government led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, which led to his resignation and a newly elected government. The specifics of what led to Jan Kuciak’s murder and who was responsible remain a mystery.

Money laundering is a fundamental aspect of criminal activities, and the ‘Ndrangheta has laundered money through London and Brussels. London has been the hub for money laundering for the Ndrangheta as it serves as a financial center for global economic relations and is a significant component of the European Union’s regional economics. The ‘Ndrangheta employs Brussels as another money laundering point, but it has also heavily invested in Belgian real estate and territories. Reportedly, these are neighborhoods in various Belgian cities and towns entirely controlled by ‘Ndrangheta clans.

The ‘Ndrangheta cells throughout Europe may be far more than the general public knows. Its devotion to secrecy has kept it in the shadows, and a fully accurate understanding of the magnitude of its operations is impossible to truly know. Drug trafficking through West Africa, money laundering in East Asia, partnerships with drug cartels in Central and South America, and deep ties to North American Cosa Nostra families have made the ‘Ndrangheta ubiquitous in nature and power.

The ‘Ndrangheta expands on every level and aspect of society from entrepreneurship, high-level government affairs, and illicit partnerships with other organized crime groups. Its propensity to migrate, dominate, and envelop criminal enterprises and territories to satisfy its ravenous hunger for power and money has been the catalyst for its growing hegemony. The Calabrian hydra has become uncontainable, and its propensity for establishing secretive and successful enterprises and resilience against law enforcement have made it truly unstoppable.