CASE ANALYSIS

CASE TITLE

SACRA CORONA UNITA

CASE SUMMARY

The Sacra Corona Unita or United Sacred Crown is a Mafia type organization

from Apulia, Italy. SCU used the Corona because it resembles a crown, meaning

the rosary typically used in Church in order to carry out the functions of Jesus Christ

and the cross, Unita because it was necessary to be connected to one another, similar

to the rings of a chain. Founded by Raffaele Cutolo but few years later after his downfall

Giuseppe Rogoli became the new leader. (Wikipedia)

Originally preying on the region's substantial wine and olive oil industries, the

group moved into other criminal activities such as cigarette smuggling, arms trafficking,

drug trafficking, extortion, fraud, loansharking, money laundering, and illegal

gambling and also made alliances with international criminal organization such as

the Russian and Albanian mafias, Colombian drug cartels, Chinese Triads, and

Japanese Yakuza. It is composed of a collection of criminal groups mostly from

southern Italy. They operated early 1980s. The group operation is active in City

of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto in Apulia. The group engage in illegal activity, most

commonly for money and profit.

TIME CONTEXT

1981 1983 1999 2018

•SCU is founded •Giuseppe •One of the •With

by Raffaele Rogoli gained godfathers of approximately
Cutolo the leadership the SCU got 2,000
and makes ties arrested and members their
to other reduced their criminal
transnational capacity activities
organized continues
crime groups

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POINT OF VIEW

The Sacra Corona Unita as the youngest of all syndicates in Italy, their group

name fits their organizations secrecy and how they are coordinate as a group from a

simple gang established in prison. They have shown the element of support for the

solidity of the organization and their impenetrability derives from the civil context of the

area.

As a researcher, they considered Organize crime group based on its structural

pattern having three distinct levels members can graduate from one to another by

performing their baptism rites, first is Manovalaza a worker, second is Società Maggiore

a killer and lastly is the Società Segreta a leader where all the decisions are made.

Their purpose of committing crimes is for their monetary profit and illegal schemes to

sustain their group activities, also SCU manifests a self-perpetuating characteristic for

an organized crime group.

SWOT ANALYSIS

INTERNAL/ EXTERNAL STRENGTH WEAKNESS

Availability of specialized Selective and unreasonable

personnel and weapons leadership rather than

adequate for operations individual qualities

OPPORTUNITIES Acquiring certain skills for Weakening of security

Availability of membership their operation can give secrecy as new members

on the other side of its allies opportunities as a newly be part of the organization

territories recruited member

THREATS They can be able to It can cause unstable

Betrayal of counter-parts operate in local even partnership between their

without the support of it’s allies due to lack or

allies. leadership

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 Poor social development in the local community because SCU used

homicide for resolving conflicts.

 The economic development of the community in certain cities where SCU

actives is difficult to attain because of the interception and extortion.

 Limit the provision of a variety of local public goods and impact on local

competition due to smuggling of goods and illegal schemes.

STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES

 To protect the community from violence and unlawful killing by the mafia.

 To developed a strong and responsible commission that will avoid

irregularities in the cities.

 To established a reasonable authority that will fight for corruption in local

government.

AREAS OF CONSIDERATION

As the SCU acquired more specialized personnel their illegal activities expands,

one of its operation is illicit cigarette trade, defined as the production, import, export,

purchase, sale, or possession of tobacco goods which fail to comply with legislation.

The SCU controls the southeast coast of Italy. This territory is a natural gateway for

smuggling to and from countries such as Montenegro and Albania.

The illicit trade of tobacco is both supply and demand driven, as consumers look

to save money by evading taxes on tobacco; and suppliers want to take advantage of

easy border entry, high profit margins, and weak repercussions if caught. Illegal

cigarettes are priced much cheaper than legal cigarettes, and do not undergo quality

regulation in the form of health warnings, product checks, or age verification.

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ASSUMPTION

To sum up, we could conclude that SCU actually received much of its cultural

legacy from the ’Ndrangheta, assimilating rules, ceremonies, and the wording of oaths,

as well as structural characteristics. One of the main activities of the SCU during this

early phase was tobacco smuggling, subsequently joined by illegal gambling, drug

trafficking, extortion, loan sharking and robbery all activities that until then had been

handled in a disorganized and fragmented manner. Counterfeit: cigarettes

manufactured without authorization of the rightful owners, with intent to deceive

consumers and to avoid paying duty.

On the basis of available information, this kind of illegal activities is difficult to

contained without the cooperation of the local community and coordination from Law

enforcement, Trade and Industry and Customs authorities. The locals will be the

collateral and poverty exist in the government as if the taxes will go high, while the

organized crime group become wealthy.

ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTION

ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTION

Government should have established a joint anti-smuggling task force to facilitate

sharing of intelligence and conducting joint operations against sea smuggling activities

or what I so called Oplan Anti-Puslit.

Government should adopts a risk-based and intelligence mode of operation to identify

suspicious persons, vehicles and vessels for detailed search and investigation.

Locals should maintain close liaison with the Mainland and overseas customs

authorities to exchange information and intelligence on smuggling trends.

ANALYSIS OF THE ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTION

As the government is the number one affected by this illegal trade, they should

be also the first to action and ensure the counter measure to battle and prevent this

activities such as; assigning a Liaison that will maintain local as well as overseas

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customs and intelligence that what is other possible goods to be smuggled, adopt a

intelligence led mode of operation that will receive a reports about suspicious persons

and vessels that used in the cigarette smuggling operations and further able to search

and investigate. This strategies is able to protect the government and locals in paying

taxes and availability of free market competition.

FINAL DECISION

The best action to be done by the Government is to implement the Oplan Anti-

Puslit that establishing a joint anti-smuggling task-force to facilitate sharing of

intelligence and conducting joint operations against sea smuggling activities, this

strategy is needed to maintain and stabilize the economic development of the locals.

Coordination and executed by the local Police together with Customs and Excise

agency of Italy and International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).

PLAN OFACTION

ACTIVITY EXPECTED DURATION PERSONS REMARKS

OUPUT NEEDED

Community Decreased of 30years Law Recommended

awareness criminality Enforcement

campaign by Agency

local police

Maritime Decreased of 20 years Maritime Recommended

security at smuggling Agency

seaports goods from

another country

Product Provides 15 years Trade and recommended

certification that competition in Industry

follows quality local market Authority

regulation

Oplan Anti- Government 15 years Customs and recommended

Puslit will gain tax Excise Agency