Frosinone, Italian citizenship in exchange for money: criminal organization defeated

The State Police of Frosinone, coordinated by the local Public Prosecutor's Office, has referred a Civil Status and Registry Officer to the Judicial Authority in service in the Municipalities of Boville Ernica and Torrice (Frosinone) and the owner of an international brokerage agency, made responsible, in continuous competition with each other and with others, of the crimes of aiding and abetting the clandestine stay in Italy of numerous Brazilian citizens, violation of the laws on the issuing of Italian citizenship, ideological falsity in public documents, omission of official acts, acts contrary to official duties, abuse of office, violation of art.21 paragraph 2/ter law no. 241 of 07.08.1990 relating to the failure to collect consular fees quantifiable in at least 51.000,00 Euros with consequent fiscal damage, all to the benefit of 179 foreign citizens.

The investigative activity conducted by the Flying Squad of the Frosinone Police Headquarters, characterised by the analysis of numerous documents, some of which were seized in the municipalities of Boville Ernica and Torrice (Frosinone), has revealed the existence, from 2017 to today, of a real system aimed at promoting the illegal presence on Italian territory of citizens of foreign nationality in order to obtain them illicitly, in a very short time and almost in the absence of the mandatory certifications and necessary documentary checks, the recognition of Italian citizenship jure sanguinis upon the payment of large sums of money.

From the investigations conducted by the police, it emerged that the activity in question can be traced back to a transnational organization operating between Brazil, Germany and Italy which, thanks to the complacency of the Civil Status and Registry Officer reported, over the years it has confiscated significant illicit profits from the recognition of iure sanguinis citizenships obtained in Italy; to date the criminal association, in the face of 179 proceedings for Italian citizenship thus defined, appears to have "invoiced" an illicit sum exceeding 700.000,00 euros in just three years.

The Judicial Police operation  which originates from a complaint received by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Frosinone, from the Italian Ambassador in London, it was implemented by the operators with a traditional gender investigation methodology (long observation and shadowing reports, listening to numerous witnesses, etc.) combined with the study and analysis of the relevant legislation and the large quantity of documentary material seized by the Judicial Authority