ROSS KEMP: MAFIA & BRITAIN

To uncover the truth about our relationship with the most notorious organised group in history Ross Kemp goes on a global journey to follow a trail of illegal money and drugs along an intricate path where history meets globalisation and reveal the reality of our relationship with the mob.

In the US he’ll learn about our role in establishing the mafia through British exports of booze during prohibition to the relationship between the so-called five families and the notorious Kray Twins and gambling in the 1960s; the fall of the US mob to RICO and the impact that had on the Colombian drug cartels. In Colombia he’ll learn how the cartels subsequently targeted the UK as a new market for cocaine but in doing so created a renaissance for the Italian mafia which led to new consequences for Britain.

In Spain he’ll explore how British gangsters jostled for position in the new cocaine economy before going on a difficult journey to Calabria, Italy and the heartland of the most powerful mafia clan today, the ‘Ndrangheta. From there he’ll reveal how the mafia’s new relationship with Britain revolves around colossal levels of money laundering through London, so much so that many experts believe illegal money was the only thing that kept Britain afloat during the credit crunch of 2008.