here - Cooperazione Italiana allo Sviluppo

It should be noted that, even though proof through criminal proceedings hasnever been received, it is considered plausible that in some areas of the countrydifferent “ethnic” activities managed by people coming from Nigeria really belongto one or only a few men and are managed by a figurehead. These men are directlyimplicated in illegal trade and would use such activities not only to re-cycle andlaunder the money earned, but also, for example, to have a capillary presence, evenif mediated, on the territory, able to keep the women under control even when theydo not exercise the activity of prostitution 73 .The hypotheses advanced by some operators is that an organisation exists(composed of many nuclei in different territories) who diversify, according tocriteria not yet clear, the activities and to which one should pay attention: themadam therefore is not a free operator completely autonomous, but is supposed togive a part of the money 74 to the organisation which re-utilises it investing in thepurchase of drugs and legal activities.No investigation has reached such elements as to permit sustaining thishypothesis with documental proof in court, but it should be underlined also thatsuch an investigative hypothesis suggests that we are faced with a complexcriminal organisation implicated in numerous illegal trafficking and with a goodcapacity for avoiding the always more insistent investigative pressure.That is, given the actual knowledge, it is impossible to say if these nuclei reportto a unique cupola existing in Nigeria or whether instead it is a network withoutone “thinking head”.73Obviously it is not intended to say that every commercial activity managed by Nigerians includesillegal activities, but it is a sector which can easily be fed with capital from illegal activities.74There are no elements to quantify in what measure this comes about and how much in respect of theearnings made.