(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 22 - Illegal building crimes went up 37%
between 2021 and 2023 with a peak reported in 2022, the same
year in which national statistics institute Istat recorded a
9.1% growth in illegal building compared to 2004, environmental
association Legambiente said on Monday in its Ecomafia report.
Overall, according to Legambente's figures, "34,714 crimes" were
committed from 2021 to 2023 "at a rate of 31.7 a day, one every
45 minutes".
A reported "42.7% was concentrated in the four regions" with a
strong presence of mafia crime syndicates - Campania, Puglia,
Calabria and Sicily, per the report (ANSA).