Sabotage suspected in trial of Chinese crime gangs in Italian fashion industry

Illicit network allegedly controlling logistics of lucrative garments sector

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Italian firemen handling a suspected arson attack on a Chinese business in Prato, Italy. The battle for control of coat hanger production and fast-fashion freight has spawned a string of bomb and arson attacks in Italy, France and Spain.

A landmark trial in Italy of Chinese crime gangs has suffered so many mishaps - from the disappearance of documents to the resignation of interpreters - that a senior prosecutor suspects it is being sabotaged to protect the criminals’ grip on Europe's fashion industry.

The case, launched after two Chinese men were hacked to death with machetes in 2010, is aimed at dismantling an illicit network accused of controlling the logistics of the continent’s multibillion-euro garments sector from the city of Prato in Tuscany.

Instead, it has become a cautionary tale about the obstacles Italy’s justice system faces when confronting international organised crime without the tools it has used effectively to fight homegrown mafia groups, prosecutors say.

Reuters spoke to two of Italy’s most senior anti-mafia investigators, and more than half a dozen textile workers, union representatives and defence lawyers, to gain a rare glimpse into the challenges of tackling alleged Chinese organised crime.

“The suspicion is that there is interference from the Chinese community and Chinese authorities in this matter,” said Mr Luca Tescaroli, a veteran of Italy’s war against the mafia, who is now Prato’s chief prosecutor and leading the charge against Chinese crime gangs.

The Chinese embassy in Rome did not reply to emails requesting comment on Mr Tescaroli’s remarks. The Chinese Foreign, Public Security and Justice ministries also did not immediately reply to requests for comment for this story.