- Picture found @: Omojuwa
"In the last three years, more than 22,000 Nigerian women have left their homes, crossed the Mediterranean and arrived in Italy. The International Organization for Migration thinks that most of these women are potential victims of sex trafficking. The Italian police and prosecutors who've spent decades fighting the mafia are now tracking Nigerian gangster involved in this trafficking. We're going to hear a report now from Sicily and a note that it does contain a graphic description of violence. Here's Krista Mahr.
Rosa: Our problem is we don't need school. Our problem is we need documents, and we need work because we know that this work is not good. We know that. But we just need work.
MAHR: The Untied Nations has estimated nearly 80 percent of Nigerian women who arrive in Italy as migrants are potential victims of trafficking. Most are desperate for work and promised good jobs in Europe, but after they leave home and get to Libya to cross the Mediterranean, the story changes. Then they are told they owe thousands of euros for the trip and will have to work as prostitutes to pay it off.
Carmine Mosca: A lot of money is made through exploiting the prostitution of these girls.
MAHR: That's former Palermo police officer Carmine Mosca. He says trafficking and prostitution are lucrative business for Nigerian criminal gangs operating in Italy, including one notorious group called Black Axe.
MAHR: Mosca says the violence against these women is some of the worst he's ever seen.
What is that?
He shows me a photo that police confiscated off the cellphone of a Black Axe member.
Are these the girls or what is that?
MOSCA: It was a woman's body so badly mutilated I didn't know what I was looking at. She'd been decapitated and chopped into pieces.
MOSCA: This woman rebelled against the group and was punished as an example.
MAHR: Mosca keeps the photo to show people what the Italian police are up against.
~ Read entire article @: NPR
"The gang derive their name because they are banned by "superior" Mafiosi from carrying guns and therefore use axes and machetes to deal with grievances, predominately deal drugs imported by Italian mafia." - Found @: Omojuwa
