From the fight against crime and mafias, to the fight against human trafficking, terrorism and cybercrime. On these and other fronts, the prevention and contrast activity of the State Police has also developed in 2022, celebrating its 171st anniversary today with a ceremony in Rome, at the Pincio, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi and the Chief of Police, Prefect Lamberto Giannini.

On the occasion of the anniversary, the main data on the activity carried out by the State Police during 2022 were released. Last year the State Police carried out checks on 7,519,684 people. 3,011,579 vehicles were checked. On the source of cybersecurity, the National Cybercrime Center for the Protection of Critical Infrastructures (CNAIPIC) has managed, at national level, 405 attacks on computer systems of national structures of strategic importance.

Postal Police

The Operations Centre for Cyber Security of the Postal Police

Fight against mafias: 66 operations and 1,015 arrests in one year

From 1 January to 31 December 2022, on the front of the fight against mafia crime, the State Police the main activities are quantifiable in 66 operations, with 1,015 arrests, in execution of precautionary, precautionary or other detention measures, as well as 2 mafia fugitives located and captured abroad (Spain and Turkey), one of which is included in the list of the most dangerous fugitives of the Ministry of the Interior. Among the main judicial police operations: 13 were conducted as part of the action to combat the 'Ndrangheta, also in its extra-regional and international projections; 11 were carried out as part of the action to combat Cosa Nostra, also in its extra-regional and international projections; 22 were carried out as part of the action to combat the Camorra, also in its extra-regional and international projections; 16 were conducted as part of the action to combat the Apulian mafias, also in their extra-regional and international projections; 4 were carried out as part of the action to combat other mafia organizations (so-called "native mafias").

As part of the judicial police activities coordinated by this Central Directorate, assets were seized from organized and common crime, for a total value of 297 million euros.

Fight against crime: 141 arrests for crimes against the Public Administration

With reference to delinquent contexts other than organized crime, there were 141 arrests for crimes against the Public Administration; 147 arrests for illegal immigration and human trafficking crimes with restrictive measures and arrest of 226 smugglers; 213 restrictive measures for crimes against property, with particular focus on robberies and thefts; 115 restrictive measures for crimes against the person.

In the fight against drug trafficking, 1,103 restrictive measures were carried out and a total of about 3,338 kilograms of narcotic drugs were seized, divided into 978 kg of cocaine, 77 kg of heroin, 1,262 kg of hashish, 807 kg of marijuana, 180 kg of GBL (so-called "rape drug"), as well as ketamine and crack.

Immigration offices intensified

The foreign population legally residing on the national territory, the figure at 10 February is equal to 4,676,719. As at 31 December 2022, there were 1,570,183 residence permits, of which 173,743 in paper format and 1,396,440 electronic. A comparison with the data referring to the previous year, when the residence permits produced were 1,407,234, of which 205,706 in paper format and 1,201,525 electronic, an increase of about 11% emerges, considering the resumption of administrative activities of the Immigration Offices and the end of the extension of the validity of residence permits expiring in the period between 31 January 2020 and 31 July 2021. In addition, the exceptional situation related to the extraordinary influx of foreign citizens from Ukraine following the military invasion of the Russian armed forces had a significant impact on the administrative activity of the Immigration Offices which, from 11 March to 31 December 2022, acquired 176,768 applications for residence permits submitted by displaced citizens from Ukraine, of which 169,829 were applications for temporary protection.