Province of Siracusa In the city of Syracuse is confirmed the presence of mafia organizations that exert their influence in well-defined territorial areas.

In the northern dial of the city the group SANTA PANAGIA, a town fringe of the branched NARDO-APARO-TRIGILA, connected, in turn, to the family SANTAPAOLA-ERCOLANO of Cosa Nostra Catania.

In the urban context also operates the sodalizio of the BOTTARO-ATTANASIO, linked to the Etna clan of the CAPPELLO and active in the extortion and the spaccio of narcotics that constitutes, also in the province of Syracuse, the main source of gain for all consorteries.

The clans' summits184 would follow a logic of peaceful division of the territory for the autonomous management of the drug smuggling, mainly supplied by the ethnic societies185.

EIYE, VICKINGS, BLACK AXE, etc.

In Catania, Palermo and Messina, the Polizia di Stato had performed the OCC 6906/19 RGNR - 3642/20 RGGIP issued by the Court of Catania at the expense of 28 Nigerians held responsible for mafia-type criminal association, traffic and sale of drugs, exploitation of prostitution, counterfeiting and alteration of documents for the purpose of clandestine stay on the territory of the State.

Running the n. 8463/18 RGNR and n. 3848/20 RGGIP of 7 febbraio 2022.

Although largely detainees, they rely on consolidated criminal prestige and a large group of associates. The 15 luglio 2022, a prominent exponent of the BOTTARO ATTANASIO clan, under the 41 bis O.P., was under arrest in execution of the OCCC n. 17145/14 RGNR and n.

11301/15 RGGIP issued by the Tribunal of Catania the 14 luglio 2022 following the judgment of conviction for murder pronounced by the GUP of the Tribunal of Catania the 31 gennaio 2022.

The scenario outlined is confirmed by the investigation "Demetra" (2020) that highlighted the operation in Syracuse of two criminal organizations dedicated to the spaccio, both with structural and operational autonomy in the management of areas of competence, as well as the leading role of one of the criminal groups identified in a "near" element to the BOTTARO-ATTANASIO clan.

The management of the squares would have taken place also using subgroups according to a criterion of territorial division. Previous investigations have evidenced in fact the existence of an alliance project between the city consorteries of BOTTARO-ATTANASIO and the SANTA PANAGIA.

They emerge which satellite groups the c.d. "Gruppo della Borgata", connected to the BOTTAROATTANASIO clan and the "Gruppo della Via Italia" attributable to SANTA PANAGIA.

2nd semester 3. Sicilian organized crime

the activity carried out and the results achieved by Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate

SEMETRAL REPORT TO PARLIAMENT The northern part of the province aretusea (Lentini, Carlentini, Francofonte and Augusta) would be under the influence of the NARDO-SAMBASILE186 family.

In the previous semester187, this consortium had been affected by the results of the operation "Agorà" which had proved, among other things, the commission of numerous extortions consumed by the NARDO families and SANTAPAOLA-ERCOLANO in the damage of enterprises active in the field of public works in Lentini (SR), as well as the monopoly management in the transport of fruit and vegetable products188.

The capillary control of the territory by the NARDO consortium, exercised with the constant support of the SANTAPAOLA-ERCOLANO family, would be functional to a parasitic logic for the acquisition of financial resources useful to the consolidation of the mafia interests.

The families and clans operating in this territorial area control the local economic activities by sharing their illicit profits due to reciprocal agreements189.

This system of control of the territory is reflected, in the semester, in an operation concluded by the Carabinieri190 that has allowed to draw under arrest 5 subjects considered contiguous to the mafia societies NARDO and SANTA PANAGY.

The investigative activity, launched in 2020, originated from the complaint filed by the owner of a funeral honors company based in Syracuse, victim of numerous intimidation received by a competitor entrepreneur, who enjoyed the protection of the clan NARDO, aimed at preventing the opening of a new headquarters in the Municipality of Sortino, a city centre under the influence of the aforementioned consortium.

The investigation has also documented how the inquired, organic and "vicini" to the NARDO clans of Lentini and SANTA PANAGIA of Syracuse, both connected to the Catalan family SANTAPAOLA, "...compivano acts of competition with violence and threat towards...omissis... (titular of the same funeral honors agencies, of which one sita in Syracuse... and the other in Sortino....) in the end, first to prevent the opening of the aforementioned activity in the Municipality of Sortino and, after opening, in order to prevent it from the concrete exercise...".

This assumption confirms, therefore, the ability of the spouses to control and infiltrate, in a capillary way, the entrepreneurial fabric often reaching monopolize

The closeness of the NARDO-SAMBASILE mafia organization to the SANTAPAOLA family is reflected in the previous operations "Chaos" and "Mazzetta Sicula".

The 16 giugno 2022, the Carabinieri performed in Syracuse, Catania and Perugia, the OCC n. 12138/16 RGNR and n.

1864/19 RGGIP issued by the Court of Catania on 1 June 2022, against 55 persons held responsible, for various reasons, of mafia-type criminal association, association aimed at the traffic of narcotic substances, extortion, illicit competition, fraudulent transfer of assets, troubled freedom of the incancers, all aggravated by mafia method.

As part of the operation "Agorà" were subjected to preventive seizure 9 companies operating in the construction, logistics and funeral services sectors, as well as current accounts and bank reports for a value of approximately 12 million euros.

By using firms intestate to third parties but, in fact, attributable to the aforementioned mafia organization.

The operation "Agorà" has documented interest of Cosa Nostra Catania (family SANTAPAOLA-ERCOLANO, group NARDO and family LA ROCCA) in the mechanism of awarding the contract regarding the management of the cemetery services of the Municipality of Vizzini (CT).

It has also been established the direction, by NARDO and SANTAPAOLA-ERCOLANO families, of a flourishing traffic of narcotic substances that led to the seizure of 108 kg. of marijuana.

The 11 novembre 2022, in Syracuse and Sortino (SR) the Carabinieri, running the n.7472/2020 RGNR and n.

5159/21 RGGIP issued by the Tribunal of Catania the 31 ottobre 2022, have arrested 5 persons, held responsible, for various reasons, of the crimes of illicit competition with threat and violence aggravated by the mafia method, attempted extortion aggravated by the mafia method and firearm port.

2nd semester 3. Sicilian organized crime

entire compartments, as confirmed, in the same period under review, also from the confiscation191 of goods, for a value of approximately 50 million euros, carried out to an exponent192 of importance of the NARDO partnership which, albeit ergastolano inmate, would have managed its own companies, active in the field of transport, under a substantial monopoly.

The southern dial of the province of Syracuse and, in particular, the Municipalities of Noto, Pachino, Avola and Rosolini, would have long been under the control of the TRIGILA clan.

A recent survey193 has, among other things, allowed to learn how the clan was able to infiltrate the economic fabric of the territory also through the intermediation of complacent companies.

In response to the operation of the consortium in the field of extortion, the Carabinieri194, in December, arrested two convicted felons from the clan TRIGILA as responsible for the attempted extortion in the damage of an entrepreneur of Avola, whose proceeds would be destined to the costs of the trials for the defense of an exponent of summit of the partnership.

The TRIGILA clan would also refer to other criminal groups operating in the province and, in particular, to Cassibile (SR) where the association of LINGUANTI would be active, while in the territories of Pachino and Portopalo di Capo Passero would operate the GIULIANO clan indicated, in previous investigative activities, "near" to the CAPPELLO of Catania195.

The pedemontana area of the province of aretusea would instead be influenced by the criminal group of the APARO dediti, in particular, to the extortion, the usury and the narcotics196.

In the Syracus territory, other sodalizi also operate, which, although not structured as Cosa Nostra, are equally relevant roles in the criminal scene, with interests ranging from traditional traffic and drug trafficking, usury and extortion, even to gambling.

In this regard, a recent survey197 has allowed a transnational association active in Augusta (SR), with proposals to Catania and Malta, dedicated to the abusive exercise of the game and online bets through websites not registered in Italy.

Confisca beni n. 106/R.S.S. and n. 207/22 R.D., issued by the Court of Catania - Section M.P. the 7 ottobre 2022. With the order ablative, P.S. Special Surveillance for the duration of 3 years was also available.

Currently restricted in special detention.

It refers to the operation "Robin Hood" carried out, in January 2021, with 13 suspects belonging to the TRIGILA clan, responsible, for various reasons, of the crimes ex art. 416bis, 629, 416bis 1, 316 ter c.p., 73 D.P.R. n. 309/1990.

The 22 dicembre 2022, in Noto and Avola (SR), the Carabinieri performed the n. 4326/21 R.G. Mod.21 and n. 2702/2022 R.GIP, issued by the Court of Catania the 19 dicembre 2022.

This is the operation "Araba fenice" of July 2018.

The operation of this consortium is reflected in the results of the operation "San Paolo" of July 2020, already illustrated in the previous Reports.

Some of the proceeds of the delittuose activities were invested in the purchase of important drug games supplied by affiliates to the SANTAPAOLA-ERCOLANO family and subsequently entered the spaccio squares of Solarino and Floridia.

The investigation "Ludos" (OCC n. 4455/20 RGNR and n.

967/21 RGGIP of the Syracuse Tribunal dated 28 settembre 2021) performed the 30 settembre 2021 from the Polizia di Stato with the arrest of 11 subjects responsible for criminal conspiracy aimed at the abusive exercise of online gaming activities and betting through illegal sites, as well as abusive exercise of credit activity and usury.

the activity carried out and the results achieved by Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate

SEMETRAL REPORT TO PARLIAMENT In the field of narcotics, particular emphasis is on the operation completed in the semester from Polizia di Stato and the Guardia di Finanza198 which, in Syracuse, led to the arrest of 4 persons held responsible for criminal conspiracy aimed at traffic and drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement of public funds and false in public action.

The investigations have documented a strict and consolidated "business relationship" between members of the Syrian crime and some unfaithful public officials.

The latter would have yielded substantial quantities of drugs199, taken from the office corps of crime of the Tribunal of Syracuse, receiving periodically from the referents of the squares of shoot a pay in money.

In tale contesto territoriale, emergono anche episodi corruttivi posti in essere da imprenditori e pubblici amministratori, come documentato, nel periodo in esame, dagli esiti di un'indagine200 conclusa, il 3 ottobre 2022 dalla Polizia di Stato e dalla Guardia di finanza, con l'arresto di un amministratore del Comune di Priolo Gargallo (SR)201 indagato per concussione, istigazione alla corruzione, tentata concussione e falso in atto pubblico.