Mafia Hunters

  • nordische filmtage

The investigation begins with a car breakdown involving two women from Wuppertal in Italy and ends with the seizure of over 3,000 police officers in 10 countries on the night of 3 May 2023.

Year

2025

Length

5×45 min, 3×30 min, 60 min, 90 min 

Director

Stefano Strocchi, Veronika Kaserer

Share

Synopsis

MAFIA HUNTERS is a true crime documentary series that tells the inside story of OPERATION EUREKA, the largest anti-mafia operation by international police forces against the ’Ndrangheta, which has risen to become the most powerful mafia organization since the 1980s, coordinating various criminal activities, including the international cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe, with an estimated revenue of more than 50 billion Euros per year.

We follow the investigators Oliver Hut (Germany), Massimiliano D’Angelantonio (Italy), Maurizia Quattrone (Interpol) and others throughout their four years of meticulous preparation for the largest coordinated strike against the ’Ndrangheta. On May 3rd, 2023, more than 3,000 police oJicers executed arrests worldwide simultaneously.

After extensive research we gained access to the inside story of the former Mafia Boss Luigi Bonaventura. He shares insights into the successful expansion of the mafia organization, its methods and rites, and how he was trained from childhood on, even playing with real guns. His decision to turn his back on the ’Ndrangheta and become a mafia hunter was driven by his desire to protect his children and the woman he loves.

Directors
Stefano Strocchi
Veronika Kaserer

Director of Photography
Nikolaus von Schlebrügge

Editing
Johannes H. Nakajima
Christian R. Timmann
Jörg Volkmar

Sound
Ole Jacobs
Robert Keilbar

Music
Gregor Keienburg
Raffael Seyfried

Sound Design
Lukas Wustmann

Color Correction
Jakob Ihde
Janina Grulich

Graphics
Studio Fritz Gnad

Production Management
Anja Neuhaus
Sarah Schütz
Benny Frank
Wolfram Gumbert-Brewitt
Maria Teresa Tringali

Herstellungsleitung
Kathrin Isberner

Postproduction Management
Lieven Lobing

Producer
Nora Ehrmann

Executive Producer
Stefano Strocchi
Christian Beetz
Georg Tschurtschenthaler

Commissioning Editors
Christiane Hinz (WDR)
Jutta Krug (WDR)
Marc Brasse (NDR)
Katharina Ringsgwandl (SWR)
Ina-Katrin Hüttig (MDR)
Matthias Leybrand (BR)
Rolf Bergmann (RBB)

 

Mafia Hunters
Trailer

Produced by

  • beetz

In co-production with

  • onegate
  • wdr
  • ndr
  • swr
  • mdr
  • br
  • rbb

In association with

  • arte

Supported by

  • gmpf
  • bund
  • mbb
  • nrw
  • idm

Mafia Hunters

  • nordische filmtage

The investigation begins with a car breakdown involving two women from Wuppertal in Italy and ends with the seizure of over 3,000 police officers in 10 countries on the night of 3 May 2023.

Year

2025

Length

5×45 min, 3×30 min, 60 min, 90 min 

Director

Stefano Strocchi, Veronika Kaserer

Share

Synopsis

MAFIA HUNTERS is a true crime documentary series that tells the inside story of OPERATION EUREKA, the largest anti-mafia operation by international police forces against the ’Ndrangheta, which has risen to become the most powerful mafia organization since the 1980s, coordinating various criminal activities, including the international cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe, with an estimated revenue of more than 50 billion Euros per year.

We follow the investigators Oliver Hut (Germany), Massimiliano D’Angelantonio (Italy), Maurizia Quattrone (Interpol) and others throughout their four years of meticulous preparation for the largest coordinated strike against the ’Ndrangheta. On May 3rd, 2023, more than 3,000 police oJicers executed arrests worldwide simultaneously.

After extensive research we gained access to the inside story of the former Mafia Boss Luigi Bonaventura. He shares insights into the successful expansion of the mafia organization, its methods and rites, and how he was trained from childhood on, even playing with real guns. His decision to turn his back on the ’Ndrangheta and become a mafia hunter was driven by his desire to protect his children and the woman he loves.

Directors
Stefano Strocchi
Veronika Kaserer

Director of Photography
Nikolaus von Schlebrügge

Editing
Johannes H. Nakajima
Christian R. Timmann
Jörg Volkmar

Sound
Ole Jacobs
Robert Keilbar

Music
Gregor Keienburg
Raffael Seyfried

Sound Design
Lukas Wustmann

Color Correction
Jakob Ihde
Janina Grulich

Graphics
Studio Fritz Gnad

Production Management
Anja Neuhaus
Sarah Schütz
Benny Frank
Wolfram Gumbert-Brewitt
Maria Teresa Tringali

Herstellungsleitung
Kathrin Isberner

Postproduction Management
Lieven Lobing

Producer
Nora Ehrmann

Executive Producer
Stefano Strocchi
Christian Beetz
Georg Tschurtschenthaler

Commissioning Editors
Christiane Hinz (WDR)
Jutta Krug (WDR)
Marc Brasse (NDR)
Katharina Ringsgwandl (SWR)
Ina-Katrin Hüttig (MDR)
Matthias Leybrand (BR)
Rolf Bergmann (RBB)

 

Mafia Hunters
Trailer

Produced by

  • beetz

In co-production with

  • onegate
  • wdr
  • ndr
  • swr
  • mdr
  • br
  • rbb

In association with

  • arte

Supported by

  • gmpf
  • bund
  • mbb
  • nrw
  • idm