Managing finances in the illicit tobacco trade in Italy

Abstract

Every organized crime activity needs financing and has financial aspects. Engaging in organized crime activities requires financial resources and every crime has financial layouts (as for example prices, costs to enter a given criminal market, investment) that do necessarily consist in the laundering of criminal asset. Despite this, and apart from cases of terrorism and drugs, nowadays little is known about the mechanisms of financing that sustain organized crime activities which are crime-specific and site-specific. Drawing on a set of diverse empirical data, including interviews with police officers, customs officials and prosecutors, the article provides insights into the financial management of the illicit tobacco trade in Italy. The study is aimed both at increasing the knowledge on the financing mechanisms of organized crime activities by using the illicit tobacco business in Italy as a case study, and at deepening the knowledge on the structure of this illicit trade at the national level. The findings suggest new approaches to research and investigate organized crime activities and criminal finances.