Police Dismantle Casalesi Clan Faction in Canary Islands Money Laundering Crackdown
A joint international police operation has dismantled a Casalesi clan faction, arresting 23 individuals in Tenerife and Italy while seizing 40 million euros in assets linked to a sophisticated money-laundering network.
The recent dismantling of a faction within the Casalesi clan—a powerful branch of the Neapolitan Camorra—has exposed how sophisticated Italian criminal networks are using the Canary Islands to launder money and hide assets.
A joint operation between the Spanish National Police, the Italian Carabinieri, and the ROS resulted in the arrest of 23 people, including Filippo Capaldo, the nephew of notorious boss Michele Zagaria. Capaldo was arrested in Tenerife, where he had been working as the sole administrator of a real estate firm since 2022.
His arrest highlights a growing trend: criminal figures are increasingly choosing the Canary Islands not just for tax benefits, but because the large Italian population there makes it easy to blend in without drawing attention. The investigation, led by the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office, led to the seizure of 40 million euros in assets and uncovered a financial network that stretched as far as Dubai.
The Zagaria faction, led by Michele Zagaria until his 2011 arrest in a hidden bunker, has long diversified its business interests. The group operated in sectors ranging from waste management and construction to food distribution. Authorities believe these businesses were used to launder profits from extortion, drug trafficking, and threats. In Caserta, for example, the group forced property owners to pay "commissions" of up to 125,000 euros per transaction.
The success of this operation, coordinated in Spain by the Udyco Fugitive Group, demonstrates the effectiveness of international police cooperation in tracking illicit money. The arrests of other relatives, including Carmine and Antonio Zagaria, confirm that the group remains deeply rooted in its original family-based hierarchy. Of the 23 people detained, 19 are currently in prison and four are under house arrest. They face charges including membership in a criminal organization, money laundering, arms and drug trafficking, and collusion with local politicians in the Campania region.