The Cyber-Spies Investigation: The “Safe Harbour” Project and the Dossier System.

In recent weeks, the investigation by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) of Milano and the National Anti-Mafia Directorate (DNA) revealed the existence of a complex network of cyber-spies engaged in dossier-building and illicit acquisition of sensitive data. At the center of the investigation is the “Safe Harbour” project, an initiative created by Nunzio Samuele Calamucci, considered the “technological mind” of the group. The project was aimed at protecting members of the criminal network from potential investigations, through the creation of a shell company based in Reggio Emilia.

The “Safe Harbour” Project and the Role of the Screen Society

According to the investigation documents, the “Safe Harbour” company was designed to offer the criminal group “cover” in the event of investigations by the police. With modest share capital, the shell company had the objective of draining resources and, at the same time, physically and bureaucratically distancing the organization's headquarters from via Pattari, Milano, the operations center of Equalize, the company linked to the dossier activity. The strategy called for “Safe Harbor” to allow members of the group to move money and manage business relationships, while maintaining a low and hidden profile.

Calamucci's plan, made known by wiretaps and statements made during the investigation, aimed to centralize in "Safe Harbour" the activities of training, production and distribution of reports built on data acquired illegally. These apparently "legal" documents were sold to prestigious clients, including law firms and major companies, highlighting the widespread diffusion of the illegal service.

Interrogations and collaborations: The defense of Gallo and Calamucci

The involvement of Carmine Gallo, a former super-cop and head of Equalize, is one of the most controversial aspects of the investigation. Gallo, during an interrogation, declared that he wanted to collaborate with the authorities, while emphasizing his innocence and his long service to the institutions. Calamucci, a central figure in the development of the network's digital operations, also denied some of the accusations, arguing that many of the statements reported by investigators are technically unfeasible and refusing to have ever "hacked" the information system of the SDI (Investigation System of the Ministry of the Interior).

During the preliminary hearing, only one of the suspects, the police officer Marco Malerba, admitted to having carried out “illegal access to data” in exchange for small favors, including recommendations for medical visits and restaurant reservations. Malerba’s complicity, as indicated in his statements, seems to be due to the desire to maintain favorable relations with Gallo, his former superior, to whom he claimed he had never been able to say no.

The Equalize Organization: Between Cover-ups and Relationships with Institutions

Equalize, the company managed by Gallo and owned by Enrico Pazzali, the self-suspended president of Fondazione Fiera, represented the heart of the illicit traffic of information. Pazzali himself, investigators document, used to travel in a car with a driver and a badge from the Prefecture of Milano, an element that, according to the investigations, symbolizes the intent to legitimize Equalize's activity through an institutional approach.

A wiretap recorded on September 5 shows a dialogue between Calamucci, Gallo and Pazzali describing the “transformation” of Equalize from a low-profile, almost Ikea-like structure into an information “boutique.” This growing relevance and visibility, which members of the group boasted about, demonstrates the transition from discreetly conducted illicit operations to a more structured and self-confident system, supported by a strong economic base and a diversified clientele.

Threats and fears: Cornelli and Camponovo's statements

Two of the group's leading hacking experts, Giulio Cornelli and Massimiliano Camponovo, while initially choosing to avail themselves of the right to remain silent, left open some avenues for collaboration. Camponovo, in particular, spoke of a "dark hand" that guided the system, generating a climate of fear that had led him to fear for his life and that of his loved ones. Cornelli, for his part, expressed his desire to "clarify everything", trying to distance himself from environments that did not belong to him and asking to be able to read the documents to give his contribution to the truth.

The Intervention of the Authorities and the Question of National Security

The investigation by the Prosecutor's Office Milano has opened a critical issue related to data security and the improper use of digital information in Italy. The Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, speaking in the Senate, highlighted how the illicit use of personal data by individuals or organizations can have the purpose not only of profit, but also of attacking political opponents, threatening the integrity of the democratic process. Piantedosi underlined how the Postal Police and the National Committee for Cyber ​​Security are engaged in preventive and repressive actions to counter cyber threats, with over 25.000 significant cyber attacks managed between 2022 and 2023.

The “Fiore Squad” and its connections with the Secret Services

The investigations also revealed the group's links with an alleged dossier center, called "Squadra Fiore", which operated in Rome and included former members of the police force. Among these, the name of Marco Mancini stands out, a former director of the secret services, who, according to some statements collected during the investigation, was involved in death threats against Vincenzo De Marzio, a former carabiniere and also under investigation.

Mancini's lawyer has defined these accusations as "unfounded", suggesting that the reported wiretaps are the result of attempts at accreditation among the members of the group. The case of the "Squadra Fiore" however highlights the existence of a network of influences and connections between the Equalize network and para-institutional environments, on which the Prosecutor's Office Milano continue to investigate.

The complexity of the dossier system linked to Equalize and the Safe Harbour shell company highlights how the theft and sale of sensitive data, combined with a network of favors and cover-ups, represent a risk not only for the safety of citizens, but also for the integrity of democratic institutions. Investigations are still ongoing and the final picture could hold further surprises, with the potential involvement of other important figures and organizations. This case, which has shocked Italian public opinion, sheds light on the challenges that Italy must face to ensure cybersecurity and institutional transparency, an issue that requires commitment and determination to be monitored.