Transformation of Italy’s Cosa Nostra

A large-scale police operation in Palermo in February 2025 led to the arrest of over 180 individuals affiliated with Cosa Nostra. While authorities framed the crackdown as a significant blow to the group, it instead exposed a criminal organization in transition rather than decline.

GI-TOC’s analytical brief Palermo Strikes Back details how Cosa Nostra is evolving: younger members are rising through the ranks, the organization is leveraging digital tools, and it is forging stronger transnational ties - notably with the ‘Ndrangheta in cocaine trafficking. Beyond traditional rackets, Cosa Nostra is expanding into sectors such as online gambling, signalling a strategic diversification of its revenue streams in response to the modern criminal economy.

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