Read Online Deadly Impact--A Richard Mariner nautical adventure by Peter Tonkin - Free Book Online Page B

…’
    â€˜Sixty-six
billion
dollars! It’s no wonder that, as it says here,
Since the 1950s, the organization has spread towards the north of Italy and worldwide.
Yes,’ Robin added thoughtfully, ‘’Ndrangheta. I think I’ve heard of them.’
    She sat back, frowning. Savouring, suddenly, the sweet complexity of the whisky on her tongue. ‘Heritage Mariner doesn’t do a lot of container work in the Mediterranean as such, but we bring a shedload of stuff in through Suez and out past Gib. So I know a good deal about Gioia Tauro, the big new container port in Calabria – and the fact that it’s supposed to be under almost total Mafia control. But clearly it’s a mistake just to lump the Mafia and the ’Ndrangheta together. So that makes the ’Ndrangheta look like the biggest net importer of cocaine from the South American drug cartels. Isn’t that it?’
    â€˜It is. And you’re right to make the distinction: not Mafia –
’Ndrangheta
. And the ’Ndrangheta are coining it in as a result. Especially as – until 2010 – the Italian authorities were more focused on keeping the Mafia under some kind of control in Sicily …’
    â€˜â€¦ while the ’Ndrangheta grew like weeds in Calabria, just across the strait of Messina …’
    â€˜That,’ said Pat lugubriously, ‘is only the beginning. After the massacre in Germany I showed you, the Italian authorities began to go after ’Ndrangheta godfathers as well as Mafia ones. They started literally digging them out of the mountains. They had whole towns riddled with underground tunnels and hidey-holes. As a result of which, ’Ndrangheta wanted to move its money and influence abroad. It already had powerful cells in places where Italian communities exist. Taking it alphabetically …’ he clicked back on to Wikipedia, ‘… that would be Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Germany – as we know – the Netherlands, Mexico, South Africa and, of course, the United States. But, my point is this: they are always on the lookout for ways to expand. New associates. New markets. And they will go in via legitimate enterprises. Look.’ He clicked on the link to a particular section of the page and Robin read:
Belgium: ’Ndrangheta clans purchased almost ‘an entire neighbourhood’ in Brussels with laundered money originating from drug trafficking. On 5 March 2004, forty-seven people were arrested, accused of drug trafficking and money laundering to purchase real estate in Brussels for some twenty-eight million euros. The activities extended to the Netherlands where large quantities of heroin and cocaine had been purchased …
    â€˜And you’re telling me that Lazzaro is a part of this?’
    â€˜No. I’m telling you that Lazzaro is the
capo
of the Gioia Tauro clan. He’s among the first of the ’Ndrangheta
capi
to be moving himself outside Italy and running things internationally. He’s looking to expand into markets – legitimate and illegitimate – that will glean him the most profit. He’s open to suggestions and up for making contacts. With anyone. Anywhere.’
    â€˜And he seems to be the guy who’s now elbowing in on the syndicate insuring
Sayonara
. The guy who sent the team aboard that Richard is facing down …’ Robin paused and frowned, remembering the flash of irritation in those deep, dark chocolate eyes. ‘Oh, shit, Pat,’ she said.
    â€˜What?’ Pat reached for the precious Bushmills bottle.
    â€˜Tristan Folgate-Lothbury sent the team aboard. At least, he sent them to Rat Island. And then he lost contact with them altogether …’
    â€˜What do you mean?’ asked Pat solicitously.
    â€˜What if the team that went aboard weren’t Tristan’s team? Lazzaro wanted the drill. What if they were Lazzaro’s men? What if they