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eceiving country. The operator transmits the data to the operating centre of theagent who on-line checks and authorises the operation. Once the authorisation hasbeen received the operators takes the money and gives the client a receipt with theidentification number of the operation. It is the responsibility of the client tocommunicate that number, which is indispensable for collecting the money, to thebeneficiary.It is evident that this rapid and light system is very useful to send money tocountries where the banking system is lacking and is undoubtedly an indispensableresource for many immigrants who work far from their home country.Together with this use, which does not conceal anything illegal, by its side isanother which however conceals an illegal activity. From controls made 67 it seemsthat such a system is frequently used for light or medium transfers and, as far as thetraffic of women for sexual exploitation is concerned, it is thought that sendingmoney through the money transfer is used for payments to the passeurs (whocollaborate in the journeys) and to compensate for various “favours” renderedNigerian citizens resident in different parts of Italy or Europe.Undoubtedly, an accurate investigation on this type of transfers of money, evenif it would not allow to intercept large sums of money, would say a lot about theorganisation network and its territorial dislocation.Equally it should be observed that the different points that receive money to betransferred are managed by citizens from outside the European Union some evenwith specific criminal records (for example Nigerian citizens with criminal recordsfor exploitation or abetting prostitution or for the illicit drug trade). One cannotexclude that they are tied to the organisation that manages illicit trafficking.Considering the limits of the money transfer system, it is thought 68 that forsending conspicuous sums of money the method used is that of couriers: personsoriginating from central Africa, frequently not Nigerians, who transport overvarious tracts, by air and in part over land, the money to the home country.In the country the money is certainly utilised for investments of a real estatetype: while in Italy the madams normally live in modest housing, often rented, inNigeria they build houses which, at least according to local standards, are verycostly and luxurious.“Surely the house discussion is true, the exploiters apparently build stupendousvillas there” (Questura of Turin).Frequently, as an alternative to sending money, is the sending of large carspurchased in Italy or Europe: it does not involve, for the most part of the cases,new cars, but used cars that sometimes cannot circulate any longer on Italianterritory: “It would appear that they send a lot of cars to Nigeria, but often it iscars that cease to circulate here, for example a car that is over 10 years old butstill functions; they are cancelled from the car registration here because they hand67In the so-called Operazione Edo, as in other criminal proceedings, checks have been made on sendingmoney undertaken with money transfer.68The opinion is practically common with all the Law Enforcement operators interviewed.