China’s Mafia Fight for Italy’s Fast Fashion

A deadly turf war is unfolding inside Italy’s fast fashion supply chain. In April 2025, Chinese gangster Zhang Dayong was shot dead in Rome, an alleged professional hit linked by investigators to rival syndicates battling for control of logistics, transport, and even clothes hangers. Because in an industry that moves millions of units, shaving a few cents per piece translates into massive profits and power.Senior Analyst Ruggero Scaturro (Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime) explains how Chinese criminal networks built near monopolies over road transport and warehousing, the landmark “China Truck” operation led from Florence, and why these groups are now recognized in Italy as mafia-style organizations. We explore their role in counterfeit goods, informal banking, intimidation, and how they cooperate functionally with Italian mafias like the ’Ndrangheta and Camorra. The episode also looks at the epicenter around Prato, the challenges of infiltration and interpretation, and what rising violence says about who really controls Europe’s fast fashion backbone.Chapters00:00:00 - Italy’s “War of Hangers”00:00:32 - The hanger market: economics, logistics monopoly, rising violence00:02:31 - What “War of Hangers” means in the fast-fashion ecosystem00:03:02 - The Dayong shooting and the Zhang Naizhong case00:03:33 - Operation “China Truck”: transport monopoly and mafia-style structure00:04:45 - Foreign criminal actors in Italy00:09:00 - Counterfeit markets in Italy: scope and impact00:12:26 - How Chinese criminals gain controlGuest: Ruggiero Scaturro, Senior Analyst, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeHost: Thin Lei Win Learn more: Global Organized Crime Index — ocindex.netSubscribe for more analysis on global organized crime trends.