SANNE DE BOER - Mafiopoli: Living Among the ’Ndrangheta – Italy's Most Powerful Crime Organisation

Mafiopoli: Uncovering the ’Ndrangheta, Italy’s Most Powerful Mafia.

In this episode of Underworlds, host Mark interviews Dutch journalist and author Sanne De Boer about her book, Mafiopoli: Living Among the ’Ndrangheta – Italy’s Most Powerful Crime Organisation. Based in Calabria, home to the rugged Aspromonte Mountains, De Boer reveals the ’Ndrangheta’s rise as Europe’s cocaine trade kingpin, with growing influence in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

Mafiopoli exposes the mafia’s grip on business, politics, and even the Catholic Church, spotlighting the 2007 Duisburg killings that highlighted their violent reach. De Boer discusses Europe’s struggle to counter the ’Ndrangheta, alongside Calabria’s youth-led resistance. She also shares Pope Francis’s bold 2014 condemnation of the mafia as “evil” during his Calabria visit, effectively excommunicating them.

Learn about De Boer’s investigative process, diving into Italian court documents while navigating personal safety risks.

Listen now to explore the ’Ndrangheta’s power and Calabria’s fightback!

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro

01:53 - What does "Mafiopoli" mean?

03:24 - Encountering the 'Ndrangheta in Calabria

06:00 - The Duisburg Massacre in Germany

09:25 - Quiet growth of the 'Ndrangheta

11:53 - Background to the Duisburg Massacre

14:54 - 'Ndrangheta investments in the Netherlands and Germany

17:03 - European countries unprepared to deal with 'Ndrangheta

21:03 - Talking to Dutch Law Enforcement

23:01 - Petra Reski

25:13 - Infiltration of politics

28:54 - 'Ndrangheta excommunicated by Pope Francis

31:05 - Calabrian resilience to the mafia

33:56 - Threats and Security

36:26 - Writing Mafiopoli

42:09 - Pessimistic or optimistic about the growth of the mafia

43:57 - Next Book & Outro

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Sanne de Boer's book Mafiopoli: Living Among the ’Ndrangheta – Italy's Most Powerful Crime Organisation is available here.

Audible version.

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