The logistics company Schenker Italiana from the Deutsche Bahn group has been placed under special administration in Italy. The reason for the measure ordered by a court in Milan is the suspicion that a subcontractor is said to have connections to the powerful mafia organization ‘Nrangheta from Calabria.
“We can confirm that Schenker Italiana has been placed under provisional judicial administration. The official procedure is preventively aimed at preventing the use or infiltration of companies by external actors,” said a spokesman for DB Schenker at the request of the German Press Agency.
“This is not a criminal proceeding against Schenker Italiana or its management,” added the spokesman. The railway found out about the accusation against the subcontractor through the process. “We fully support the authorities.”
The court-appointed special administrator should ensure that the mafia does not gain influence within the company. According to the investigation, this was the goal of the criminal organization, which is one of the largest players in the world in drug trafficking. The Italian subsidiary of the German logistics giant employs around 1,400 people and operates 34 branches in the country.
The starting point for the investigations by the financial police was the discovery of 30 kilograms of cocaine in a Schenker delivery in March 2020 in Dover, Great Britain. The subcontractor is said to have been involved in the transport. According to the court in Milan, the man received orders from Schenker Italiana worth two million euros from 2017 to 2021 – despite his criminal background.
The judges attested to those responsible for the logistics company grossly negligent behavior and a lack of control measures, as quoted by the Ansa news agency from the court documents.
