Smuggling business (1999)

Post-industrial illegality is the tip of the iceberg of a more widespread intolerance against bureaucratic bindings. From a fiscal point of view, smuggling takes its place alongside widespread tax evasion. Furthermore, smuggling constitutes an excellent business for the organisations: the high profitability of the trade corresponds to a low-risk factor. Even the problem introduced by Law 40/94, which provides for arrest for this type of offence, has been easily overcome by transferring this risk to the last intermediaries in the distribution chain. Moreover, the volume of the business leads to the need for attention and evaluation regarding how illicit proceeds are laundered. The worrying size of the phenomenon has forced the Guardia di Finanza to rapidly adapt the means and operative techniques of counteraction, which has resulted in a qualitative and numerical reinforcement of the naval units, in the institution of an “Information Service”, which main task is gathering information on the traffic and to prepare an organised action, also by extending a network of interception and monitoring the smuggling.