AC Milan and Inter ultras arrested for alleged organized crime offenses

Die-hard fans of AC Milan and Inter Milan were arrested on Monday for suspected organized crime offenses as part of an investigation into illegal profits made around matches and the infiltration of mafia gangs into groups so-called “ultras”.

Italy’s financial police said prominent figures from “ultra” groups had been arrested for “criminal conspiracy aggravated by mafia methods, extortion, assault and other serious crimes.”

“The suspects are almost all members of the ultra groups of the Milan teams while the crimes concern income generated around football,” the financial police said in a press release.
In total, 19 people were arrested, including the two leaders of the Inter and Milan ultras, Renato Bosetti and Luca Lucci, following a long investigation including two years of telephone tapping.

The alleged crimes relate to activities around the San Siro stadium on match days, from selling tickets to parking enforcement, selling at concession stands and accepting payment from people without tickets and admitting them in the stadium.

Bosetti’s predecessors as head of the Inter ultras, Marco Ferdico and Andrea Beretta, were accused of allowing the Bellocco clan of the powerful ‘Ndrangheta mafia to be “represented in the stands by a person already convicted of crimes linked to the mafia,” said Milan prosecutor Marcello. Viola said.

That representative was Antonio Bellocco, who magistrate Domenico Santoro said was the only serious mafioso among those under investigation and who was killed by Beretta earlier this month.

Beretta, who himself has a long criminal record, stabbed Bellocco to death during an altercation outside a boxing gym in a Milan suburb, apparently after realizing his life was in danger.

Bellocco’s death came as a shock due to his status within the ‘Ndrangheta, which led Beretta’s family to be placed under special surveillance by the police for fear of violent reprisals.

Beretta played a leading role in the Curva Nord section of San Siro, where die-hard Inter fans hang out, after career criminal Vittorio Boiocchi was shot dead outside his home in October 2022.

Italian media widely reported at the time of his assassination at age 69 that Boiocchi had bragged in wiretapped conversations about earning 80,000 euros ($88,000) a month from his leadership position. ultra.

Extortion and violence. However, Viola did not specify how much money the ultras of the two teams earned from their activities.

Questioned by AFP during a press conference on Monday, Viola simply cited an anonymous businessman who operated a parking lot and was extorted 4,000 euros per month.

The Milanese ultras are not accused of mafia-related crimes, Viola added, “although there have been a series of attempts, which never led to any agreement, with people close to organized crime.”

Police said there were no drug offenses in the charging documents, although several of those arrested, including Lucci, had prior narcotics convictions.

However, leading Milanese ultras, who also began working as bodyguards, are also accused of extortion in nightclubs in Sardinia.

Viola told reporters that neither Inter, nor Milan, nor any member of the management of the two clubs, were under investigation by the authorities who consider that both clubs were harmed by the alleged criminal behavior people arrested.

“It would be wrong to say that all ultras are criminals, but it is clear to everyone that a significant part of the ultras scene is involved in criminal activities,” said Giovanni Melillo, head of the Italian agency. anti-mafia and anti-terrorism. authority.

Inter face Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Tuesday evening at San Siro, a match which fans of the Serbian club have been banned from attending for fear of violence.

Coach Simone Inzaghi told reporters at Monday’s pre-match press conference that “the club told us not to say anything because an investigation is underway.”

Santoro said Inzaghi had been contacted by Ferdico, with numerous reports of wiretaps claiming the latter had pressured the former Italy striker to ask the club for more tickets to the final of the 2023 Champions League, which Inter lost to Manchester City.

Clashes between fans have already marred several matches involving clubs in Italy’s top division Serie A, with serious unrest between Genoa and Sampdoria supporters before and after their local Italian Cup derby last week.

Genoa were forced to face Juventus behind closed doors on Saturday following local derby violence which left dozens of fans and police officers injured, while Samp supporters were not allowed to travel to their 3-1 Serie B victory at Modena.

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© Agence France-Presse