A brutal turf war among rival Chinese mafia factions has spilled from the textile hub of Prato into the heart of the Italian capital, culminating in the execution-style murder of two individuals on a quiet Roman street. The escalation has left Italian authorities alarmed and underlines the increasing influence of transnational Chinese criminal networks within Europe.
According to a report by The Times UK, the victims, Zhang Dayong—an alleged mob extortionist—and his partner, were gunned down outside their apartment building at 62 Via Prenestina. The gunman, lying in wait, used a 9mm pistol to deliver six fatal shots before escaping on foot. Investigators described the killing as a “professional job.”
Zhang Dayong, 53, had recently relocated from Prato to Rome and was suspected of working for Zhang Naizhong, a trucking boss accused of mob tactics and money laundering. Naizhong is allegedly a key player in the ongoing battle for control of illegal labor and transport operations tied to Prato’s sprawling sweatshop economy.
Prato, a city near Florence with a large Chinese immigrant population, has been the epicenter of a simmering conflict since mid-2023. Public Prosecutor Luca Tescaroli told The Times UK that the area has seen multiple arson attacks and attempted murders as rival groups vie for control. “We are battling against a wall of silence,” he said.
The region is infamous for its clandestine garment industry, where textiles imported from China—often skirting customs duties—are processed in factories that exploit undocumented laborers. “They employ cheap Chinese, Pakistani, African, and Bangladeshi workers in slave-like conditions,” Tescaroli noted.
Beyond illegal labor and manufacturing, the Chinese mafia is also involved in money laundering, prostitution, gambling, and logistics. The transportation of garments across Europe—down to hangers, a market reportedly worth millions annually—has become a particular flashpoint among feuding gangs.
Experts believe the operations have deepened connections with traditional Italian mafias. Antonio Nicaso, a leading mafia researcher, explained to The Times UK that the ‘Ndrangheta syndicate utilizes Chinese-operated networks to transfer drug money to South American cartels via a system known as fei ch’ien, or “flying money.” This unofficial method of international money transfer leaves no paper trail and is nearly impossible to trace.
Nicaso also revealed that the Chinese mafia has upgraded its encrypted communications infrastructure, now using Israeli technology routed through Maltese servers to evade law enforcement surveillance.
As violence escalates, prosecutors are calling for reform. “The Italian witness protection program must be expanded to cover non-Italians,” Tescaroli urged, highlighting the need for cooperation from within the Chinese community to dismantle these powerful and secretive criminal networks.
With signs of the conflict spreading across Europe—evidenced by recent suspicious fires at warehouses in France and Spain—Italian authorities fear this may only be the beginning of a wider continental crisis fueled by transnational organized crime.
