Mafia violence on rise in Italy region where G7 leaders, including PM Modi, are set to meet

As Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni prepares to host the G7 summit in Puglia, a southern Italian region, alarming reports of mafia-style violence in the area are coming to light. The Italian Interior Ministry’s semi-annual report released in January 2024, has highlighted an increase in violent activities by three mafia-style criminal groups in Puglia.

According to the report, these groups are engaged in both internal conflicts and battles with rival clans. Unlike the internationally notorious Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Camorra of Naples, and Calabria’s ‘Ndrangheta, Puglia’s mafias operate primarily within Italy and the Balkans, as noted by DIGOS (Divisione Investigazioni Generali e Operazioni Speciali), Italy’s premier anti-terrorism and anti-mafia unit.

The surge in criminal activity is centered around the coastal cities of Bari and Brindisi, precisely where the G7 summit will be held from June 13 to 15. The region has witnessed a series of daylight attacks and armed carjackings, pointing to the escalating boldness of these groups. Recent months have seen several high-profile vendetta murders and maimings, including brutal knee-cappings, as reported by local media.

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As per media reports, a briefcase containing suspicious liquids and a cellphone was found abandoned at a train station near Bari in March this year. The incident further fueled concerns among lay enforcements authorities.

Criminal gangs have conducted armed raids on villas close to the summit venue – an exclusive resort between Bari and Brindisi – and there have been frequent instances of gangland violence among the three clans, according to local police chief Vittorio Pisani.