Members of Nigerian Mafia Arrested in Bologna and Turin

The following news story from Italian TV reports on the arrest of members of the Nigerian mafia in two major Italian cities. The report doesn’t specifically mention it, but it seems likely that this group has connections to the “Nigerian cannibal mafia” that murdered and dismembered Pamela Mastropietro in Macerata. That group was also said to have controlled the local trade in drugs and prostitutes.

Many thanks to FouseSquawk for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Below is an article from ANSA (hat tip Insubria) about the arrest of the Nigerians:

Nigerian Mafia Clan Busted

‘Maphite Cult’ ran sex, drug rackets according to ‘Green Bible’

(ANSA) — Bologna, July 18 — A Nigerian mafia clan that allegedly controlled a big chunk of the drugs and prostitution markets in Piedmont and Emilia Romagna was busted by Turin and Bologna police in twin operations on Thursday.

Among those arrested were the heads of the so-called Maphite Cult, which initiated members with burning rituals as well as running sex workers with voodoo rites, keeping ties with other mafias and controlling the drugs flow.

The clan was run according to the rules of their ‘Green Bible’ whose commandments included the ‘Mario Monti’ norm on recycling money to countries of origin, police said.

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini hailed the bust.

“Maxi-operation against the Nigerian mafia, so much for those who denied its existence. Thanks to the police and investigators. We don’t need this kind of immigration. Ports closed, jails open!,” he tweeted.

Video transcript:

00:00   It was thanks to the discovery of a sort of “green Bible” that the investigators succeeded in
00:05   deciphering rules and conduct of associates of a Nigerian mafia clan that operated in Piedmont
00:09   and Emilio-Romagna and ran prostitution and (drug) dealing. A massive police operation
00:14   in collaboration with local police has led to arrests
00:17   by the DDA [Anti-Mafia] of Bologna and the prosecutor’s office of Turin
00:20   of a dozen or so persons accused of Mafia-style criminal association.
00:24   The investigators were able to reconstruct the structure of the “Cult Maphite”,
00:28   the rules, positions, investitures, rights of initiation, punishments,
00:32   green berets and clothing, but also celebrations organized on indeterminate dates and places.
00:37   These are some of the signs of recognition by which the members of the clan
00:41   dressed to represent their power in the territory
00:44   and to be recognized by their co-nationals.
00:47   The structure was organized in a top-down manner. The boss
00:51   was called “Don”, and he exercised his own power, issuing direct orders
00:55   to various associates to materially execute the orders and directives
00:58   issued by an executive committee headed by a coordinator.
01:02   The new members who joined the Nigerian mafia
01:06   were subjected to a sort of tribal rite. First they were beaten by the other members,
01:10   and then they had to hold in their hands burning pieces of paper to demonstrate their worth.