Padel facility linked to a prominent mafia group — owner arrested
In the last week, several Italian newspapers have reported that one padel facility is linked to the Italian mafia group ´Ndrangheta.
Eight courts have been seized in a municipal sports center in Milan, and the owner has been arrested.
In Milan, the Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate arrested the owner of eight padel courts worth about 700 000 euros. The group suspects that the facility's owner has ties with the prominent Italian mafia group Ndrangheta. He is also the nephew of a mafia boss in the group.
The eight courts have been seized from the Municipal sports center in Barona, Milan. The owner is now arrested for false invoices and money laundering, reports several Italian newspapers, including one of the largest news agencies in the country, Ansa.
The investigation demonstrates the infiltration of the Ndrangheta even in the business of padel courts. The investigation showed that one of the Calabrian-based mafia groups, Ndrangheta, had participated “in constructing eight padel courts worth about 700 thousand euros, within a municipal Sports Center.”
”Built illegally”
The courts in the facility are seized, explains the Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate:
”Built illegally and without any prior authorization from the competent offices. In the course of the investigation, it emerged that the arrested entrepreneur, after having signed a contract for the provision of services (which later turned out to be nonexistent) with the company that manages the Sports Center in concession,” would “finance and build the padel courts being able to count on illicit profits from the commission of numerous tax offenses to participate in the revenues from their rental to citizens.”
The Ndrangheta, dating back to the late 18th century, is involved in patronage, political corruption, drug trafficking, and illegal waste management in Italy. Extortion is also not uncommon.
