Authorities say they fear the Camorra and other organized-crime groups are now profiting from terrorists who traverse through Italy, including Paris bomber Salah Abdeslam, who came through in August.

At the same time, those same authorities say they’re certain that the Camorra and other crime syndicates want the monopoly on terror in Italy—and won’t let ISIS affiliates dig in too deep. “Our country has a vast territory, difficult to control and full of places that could be considered sensitive targets. So it would be foolish, not to say ridiculous, to say we are secure despite constant monitoring of public transportation, major shopping centers, and airports,” a former agent who called himself Ivy with Italy’s Secret Service told Panorama magazine recently. “But the real protection is the indirect one exercised by criminal organizations.

“Italy is able to protect itself from terrorist attacks in just two ways: the precise monitoring of ‘weak signals’ that allows wiretapping and targeted preventive interventions, and with the Mafia.”

New details of this deadly partnership were laid out by a Ghanian man who had worked for years as a collaborator with the EYE Nigerian mafia in Castel Volturno—and who recently switched sides and turned pentito. The man, who is now under police protection after testifying to a judge about the alliance, gave a videotaped interview to Corriere Della Sera from his secret hiding place.