Criminal organisations such as the
'Ndrangheta mafia in the southern Calabria region are cashing in
on Internet child pornography particularly on encrypted, or
'dark net' sites according to an investigative report published
by ANSA on Thursday.
"Now files have been given a market value ranging from tens
to thousands of dollars depending on age, race and sexual act,"
said criminologist Roberta Bruzzone.
"Mafia organisations such as the 'Ndrangheta have
understood the business," she continued.
Police have received 200 reports of Internet-related child
pornography since the start of the year against 344 in 2013,
according to the ANSA report.
Further since January 2014 they have blacklisted over 1,700
encrypted sites dealing specifically in child porn, trading not
only images but also children to be abused.
Investigations are being coordinated by the national centre
for combatting online child pornography, which carried out its
first successful operation with 10 arrests and the
identification of three seven-year-old victims three months ago.
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