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The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
The cut-throat mafia turf wars turning Tenerife into ‘new Costa del Crime'… and how ruthless crooks target Brit tourists
WITH drugs flowing so easily on its notorious strip that lines of cocaine are offered free with drinks at bars, Tenerife's dark criminal underbelly simmers close to the surface. Now, The Sun can reveal how the Spanish party island is at the centre of an increasingly volatile turf war between British narcos, the Italian mafia and even biker gang the Hells Angels as they vie for control of its rampant narcotics trade. 9 9 9 The sun-soaked Canary Island, beloved by young Brits who flock to its nightclubs every summer, has seen its party culture put under the microscope in recent times following the death of tragic teen Jay Slater. Last month, our team saw first-hand how Class A drugs such as cocaine are still being freely traded at its festivals and resorts a year since the 19-year-old was found dead in a ravine. And today, experts are warning that Tenerife has become a gateway for organised crime groups intent on flooding Europe with hard drugs, transforming the holiday hotspot into a dangerous den of thieves. British gangs dominate the local supply routes – peddling cocaine, ketamine and marijuana to tourists - and violent clashes are becoming increasingly common as they battle for control. It has sparked fears that innocent tourists could be at risk, with ruthless crooks also targeting them in large-scale scams leaving them thousands of pounds out of pocket. Mafia expert Antonio Nicaso tells us: 'Several organised crime groups operate in Tenerife. Amongst the most prominent are Italian mafia clans — especially from Camorra, Ndrangheta and the Casamonica Family. 'These groups originate from regions such as Campania, Calabria, and Rome and they are involved in large-scale money laundering, cyber fraud, and cocaine and hashish trafficking, often using Tenerife as a hub. 'British gangs, mainly from cities like Liverpool and Manchester, control much of the street-level distribution of drugs in tourist areas and have reportedly clashed with Italian groups over territory, which has led to turf wars and occasional violence.' Tenerife, which lies just off the North African coast, is fast replacing the Costa del Sol as the primary destination for hardened criminals. Its remote location – and pivotal position on the drug smuggling route between South America and mainland Spain – makes it the ideal place to hide out. Shock moment cheering Brits watch vicious street brawl in hols hotspot Tenerife During The Sun's visit earlier this summer, the influence of the burgeoning drugs underworld was clear to see. One tout working at a bar on Playa Las Americas' main drag, Veronica's strip, was offering a free line of coke with the first drink. Potentially fatal laughing gas balloons were openly on sale at the same bars, where 60-euro wraps of cocaine could be purchased from brazen staff. Cops manning the single police car on patrol seemed blind to the blatant criminality and prostitutes loitered outside offering lewd sex acts. Drug cocktails It was in the midst of this permissive atmosphere that apprentice bricklayer Jay lost his life a year ago. Last month, the inquest into his death heard he had taken a cocktail of drugs while partying in Playa Las Americas including ketamine, cocaine and MDMA. Having agreed to spend the night at a remote AirBnB rented by a convicted drug dealer, he plunged to his death while lost in a mountain range as he tried to make his way back to his hotel. Author Antonio, a mafia expert from Calabria, Italy, says it is no surprise Jay was able to buy so many drugs. He said: 'Cocaine is relatively easy to find in Tenerife due to a combination of geographic, economic, and criminal factors that make the island an attractive hub for drug trafficking and retail distribution. 9 9 'Other factors include weak border controls, high tourist demand, and limited local enforcement capacity. 'Gang leaders and lower-level operatives, often called 'soldiers', are occasionally arrested in Tenerife, but not with sufficient frequency to significantly disrupt operations.' Fugitives' paradise It's the lack of judicial oversight that makes the island a favoured retreat for crime bigwigs desperate to avoid the law. Liverpudlian crook John Clark escaped to Tenerife when the net started closing in on his multi-million pound money laundering and drug trafficking operation. Detectives saw him hand over a bag containing £113,860 to an associate at Knutsford service station in Cheshire during an undercover operation in 2011. In May the following year they raided his £1.2million farm in Waterfoot, Lancs, and found £77,000 in cash stashed in two shoe boxes. Crucially they also found a coded ledger that detailed drug shipments including one made in December 2012, when around 25kg of cocaine with a street value of £7million was transported from Holland to North Wales. When Clark was charged with money laundering and his henchmen were arrested, he decided to make himself scarce. Driving his Bentley, he took the Eurotunnel to France before travelling across continental Europe and going to ground in Tenerife. After a five-month manhunt he was finally arrested in Morocco in June 2013. 9 9 9 Scam central The island's dark underbelly was again exposed last year when police dismantled a criminal organisation suspected of defrauding more than 3,000 holidaymakers, most of them elderly. The network ran over a dozen fronts made to look like legitimate stores in areas including Playa Las Americas and Los Cristianos. Tourists shopping at the outlets thought they were snapping up bargains, but when they returned home they realised that huge sums had been swiped from their bank accounts without permission. A total of €8.39million was taken before an international arrest warrant was issued for the gang leader and the operation was shut down. Antonio says there is still a widespread view that crooks are able to operate with impunity in Tenerife, with a "recent development being the emergence of the biker gang, The Hells Angels". He added: 'While Spanish authorities - including the Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil - have carried out notable large-scale operations, these interventions tend to occur intermittently. 'In general, high-ranking leaders tend to avoid direct exposure, often operating remotely or through trusted intermediaries who handle daily operations on the island. 'When arrests do happen in Tenerife, they typically involve middlemen, enforcers, or money couriers, rather than top-level bosses." 9 He adds: 'Rivalries over drug markets and turf have become increasingly dangerous elsewhere in Spain, such as the Costa del Sol, and Tenerife appears increasingly entangled in this pattern. 'One investigative report highlights the criminal organisation linked to the Skaljari clan, a Montenegrin group known for its violent reputation during trafficking operations in the Canary Islands. Other criminal organizations have been involved in kidnappings and murders." For the thousands of Brits who enjoy Tenerife's beaches every year, it is yet another terrifying development on an island becoming infamous for far more than its wild nights out and cheap two-for-one cocktail deals.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Yahoo
Colombia authorities arrest alleged leader of Italian 'ndrangheta mafia in Latin America
Colombian authorities said Friday they captured an alleged leader of the Italian 'ndrangheta mafia in Latin America who is accused of overseeing cocaine shipments and managing illegal trafficking routes to Europe.
Montreal Gazette
12-06-2025
- Montreal Gazette
Rizzuto crime family ‘effectively decapitated' after arrests, Mafia expert says
Montreal Crime The alleged leaders of the Rizzuto crime family have been arrested in a sweeping police operation that one expert says has 'effectively decapitated' what remains of Montreal's most notorious Mafia clan. Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, and Stefano Sollecito, 57, were among 11 suspects taken into custody on Thursday with another five sought as part of Project Alliance, a three-year investigation into organized crime in Quebec. Rizzuto — the son of the late mob boss Vito Rizzuto — appeared in court by video, where his lawyer entered a not guilty plea. Sollecito, who appeared frail and in a wheelchair, remains in custody. The charges against the men relate to a series of killings between 2011 and 2021. The arrests followed co-ordinated raids by nearly 150 officers across Montreal, Laval, Quebec City and nearby regions. Also detained were Nicola Spagnolo, Davide Barberio and Jean-Richard Larivière, a longtime member of the Hells Angels. Antonio Nicaso, an expert on organized crime and a professor at Queen's University, called the arrests a serious setback for the Rizzuto network. 'It is a devastating blow that effectively decapitates the leadership of the Rizzuto crime family, an organization that for some years now has lost the power it once held in Montreal,' Nicaso told The Gazette. Criminologist Maria Mourani said the operation reflects the importance of the targets. 'We see several very important members of the Italian Mafia in Montreal who are being targeted,' she said. 'This is good news.' She said it remains to be seen what happens, but the arrests may bring about a possible 'slight destabilization' of Montreal's criminal landscape. 'Every time there are police operations, there are individuals who will replace other individuals,' Mourani said. 'You can expect that some groups will try to take the dishes.' This is the third major operation targeting the Rizzuto network in less than two decades, following Project Colisée in 2006 and Project Magot-Mastiff in 2015. The latter collapsed after allegations of police misconduct, and charges were dropped. Authorities say the latest probe is notable for its murder charges. Though police did not confirm it on Thursday, the probe was largely built on information from Frédérick Silva, a convicted hit man now serving multiple life sentences. Several search warrants related to the current investigation were carried out during December 2023. Back then, the Sûreté du Québec said in a statement the search warrants were 'part of a major criminal investigation, which aims to elucidate several murders linked to organized crime that occurred in Montreal and (north of Montreal) from the middle of the 1990s until today. Certain individuals associated with notorious groups such as the Italian Mafia, the Hells Angels and criminalized street gangs are targeted by the investigation.' On Thursday, Mourani said there is no sole leader in Quebec's organized crime but instead there are just 'different groups and families.' The Sicilian-rooted Rizzuto family once dominated Montreal's underworld, but its influence has since waned. 'Will these individuals be convicted? Will they stay off the streets?' Mourani said. 'We'll have to watch closely.' This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 4:05 PM.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- CTV News
Organized crime targeted by police operation in Quebec
An SPVM police shoulder patch is seen on an officer in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi) Several arrests are expected as the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and Montreal police (SPVM) investigate organized crime in the province on Thursday morning. About 150 officers are involved in a large-scale operation in the cities of Montreal, Laval, Blainville, Shefford, Saint-Lazare, Repentigny, Quebec City and Rosemère. An update by the two forces is expected later in the day. It's the latest in a string of police operations fighting against organized crime in the province. READ MORE: 7 arrested after early morning police operation targets Italian Mafia Earlier this month, police arrested 13 people in connection with a wave of extortion attempts at Montreal restaurants. Last month, officers targeted the Blood Family Mafia in Lévis and Sainte-Claire near Quebec City. In April, seven people were arrested after a police operation focused on the Italian Mafia.
