Linkiesta: Russia Supplies Weapons to Italian Mafia

Kalashnikov assault rifles without serial numbers and ammunition from Russian state-owned factories are being smuggled into Italy through Sicilian ports and the Friulian passes.

The Russian shadow fleet is probably used for this purpose, according to the Italian publication Linkiesta.

The journalists found that modern weapons produced between 2010 and 2020, including assault and sniper rifles, are being smuggled from Russia to Italy.

These samples do not have serial numbers because they have been erased – as the source of the publication noted, they are initially produced without markings at the factory.

In March 2022, a few days after the invasion of Ukraine, police seized an arsenal in the San Cristoforo area belonging to the Nizza group of the Santapaola-Ercolano clan: 9 weapons, about 900 rounds of ammunition and, most importantly, two Soviet-made Kalashnikovs in perfect condition.

Caches were also found in the San Giovanni Galermo and Librino neighborhoods, suburbs that are turning into hubs for Russian weapons. It arrives by sea along the same routes as drugs – sometimes from Gioia Tauro, sometimes from the port of Siracusa.

The small arms that Italian mafia groups receive are manufactured at the Tula plant.

According to Linkiesta, the export of unmarked weapons from such enterprises is possible only with the consent of government agencies.

This is confirmed by a 2023 Europol report, which notes that the appearance of new models without serial numbers on the market indicates “quasi-state involvement in supporting the illegal trade.”

According to journalists, the Russian shadow fleet may be used to transport weapons and ammunition.

The publication, referring to the Estonian intelligence document, notes that “it is likely that cargoes officially destined for third countries are partially unloaded in secondary ports in the central Mediterranean.”

Weapons are transported in barrels of oil, fuel, or lubricants, which avoids inspections and protects them from corrosion.