The Guardia di Finanza (Italian: [ˈɡwardja di fiˈnantsa]; G. di F. or GdF; lit. 'Financial Guard' or 'Financial Police') is an Italian militarised law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Mission
The mission and institutional tasks of the Guardia di Finanza are stated in law 189 of 23 April 1959, and 68/2001 and are subdivided into priority ones (preventing, investigating and reporting financial evasions and violations, overseeing the compliance with the provisions of politico-economic interest and surveillance at sea for financial police purposes) and contribution ones (maintaining public order and safety, political-military defence of the borders and international antidrug operations).
The primary mission of the Guardia di Finanza is to protect the legal economy and the businesses operating in compliance with the law while ensuring that the Republic, the European Union, the regions, and the local governments can rely on a regular income and appropriate use of the resources meant for the community, and for supporting policies for economic and social revival and development.
Its activities are connected with the financial, economic, judiciary and public safety:
Tax evasion Financial crimes Smuggling Money laundering International illegal drug trafficking Illegal immigration Human trafficking Modern slavery Customs and borders checks Copyright violations Anti-Mafia operations Credit card fraud Cybercrime Counterfeiting currency Terrorism financing Maintaining public order, and safety Political and military defence of the Italian borders.
Reception
Interpol summarizes the Guardia di Finanza as "a force with military status and nationwide remit for financial crime investigations and illegal drugs trafficking investigations".Europol (the EU's law enforcement agency), summarizes this force as "organized according to a military structure ... The tasks of the Guardia di Finanza consist of the prevention, search and denunciation of evasions and financial violations, the supervision of the observance of the provisions of political and economic interest and the surveillance at sea for financial police purposes. Therefore, the Guardia di Finanza is a police force with general jurisdiction over all economic and financial matters; it also contributes to the maintenance of order and public security and military defence along national borders."
History
Light Troops Legion (1774)
The origins of the Guardia di Finanza date back to 5 October 1774, when the "Light Troops Legion" (Legione truppe leggere) was set up under the King of Sardinia, Victor Amadeus III. This was the first example in Italy of a special corps established and organized for financial surveillance duties along the borders, as well as for military defence. 5 October is thus marked as the Raising Day of the GdF.
Customs Guards Corps (1862)
Once the unification of Italy was completed in 1862, the "Customs Guards Corps" (Corpo delle Guardie doganali) was set up. Its main task was Customs surveillance and co-participation in the Country's defence during wartime.
Corps of the Royal Finance Guard (1881)
By Law no. 141 dated 8 April 1881, the Customs Guards Corps became the "Corps of the Royal Finance Guard" (Corpo della Regia Guardia di Finanza) whose task was to "impede, suppress and report smuggling activities and any other violation and transgression of financial laws and regulations", and to safeguard the interests of the tax administration, as well as to co-participate in enforcing law and order and public security.
Twentieth century
By Royal Decree dated 14 July 1907, the Corps was issued 5-point star uniforms to mark its military status, even though the Army's military discipline regulation was extended to the Financial Guard by Law dated 12 July 1908.
The corps served in the two World Wars and in the War of National Liberation, deserving 18 awards for its war flag, which had been granted in 1914 to decree the total integration among the Italian Armed Forces.
Subsequently, the Corps took part in numerous rescue operations during serious natural disasters; for this commitment, the Corps was decorated with 13 additional civil valour awards.
The re-organization of the police forces in 1919 also affected the Royal Guardia di Finanza. The responsibilities were divided between the Inspector General, who was an Army officer with the rank of lieutenant general responsible for military preparation, and the commanding general, who was a Financial Guard officer subordinate to the former but authorized to maintain direct relations with the minister for ordinary institutional duties and for personnel management.
In 1923, the "Investigative Tax Police" was set up as a specialized branch of the Royal Financial Guard. Within a few years, its naval fleet, motor vehicles and telecommunication structure underwent a complete change; the Statistical Service was equipped with a data processing centre, and the Air Service and the Canine Service (for anti-drugs checks) were set up.
During the same years, the Corps’ general organization was defined pursuant to Law No. 189 dated 23 April 1959, which laid down its institutional tasks, subsequently amended by specific sector provisions assigning certain responsibilities.
Recent history
Besides reviewing its organizational structure, laid out by the issuance of Presidential Decree Law no. 34 dated 29 January 1999, updating the Corps’ institutional tasks was completed.
Law Decree no. 68, dated 19 March 2001, whilst confirming the Corps’ configuration as a military structure, enhanced its role as a police force having general competence on all economic, financial and judicial matters for the safeguard of the public budget and that of the regions, of the local authorities and of the European Union.
The Guardia di Finanza Historical Museum is the custodian of the traditions of the Corps. It preserves artefacts of relevance to the Guardia di Finanza and promotes historical research, to aid researchers, scholars and military history enthusiasts.
In the Costa Concordia disaster, the harbourmaster of Livorno asked a Guardia di Finanza patrol boat to investigate the Costa Concordia's condition, after an unidentified crew member falsely claimed there was a blackout on board.
Chiasso financial smuggling case
On 3 June 2009, near Chiasso, Switzerland, (near the Italian border), officers of the Corps detained two Japanese nationals in their 50s who had attempted to enter Switzerland and had in their possession a suitcase with a false bottom containing U.S. Treasury Bonds worth $134.5 billion. These later turned out to be counterfeit.
Organization
The Guardia di Finanza is a militarized police force, corpo di polizia ad ordinamento militare, like the Carabinieri, but forming a part of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, not the Ministry of Defence.
Under the minister of finance and economy, the Corps is commanded by a General Commander and a Second-in-Command.
Commands
Under the general command are the following commands: Comando dei Reparti Speciali (Special Forces Command) Special Unit of the Currency Police Central Service for the Investigation of Organized Crime Special Unit for Revenue and Public Expenditure Unit for the Prevention of Community Frauds Special Units Command, which cooperates directly with other government agencies, parliamentary commissions, and other central authorities. Comando Aeronavale Central (Central Aeronaval Command) Aeronaval Operations Command, with one aeromaritime exploration group, and three aeronaval groups. Aviation Centre Naval Centre Source:
Territorial organization
Territorial commands Six interregional commands Regional commands, one for each of the 20 Italian regions. Provincial commands, one for each of Italy's provinces. Territorial units 74 Groups (of which five are Counter-terrorism Rapid Response Groups) 104 Financial Police Units 198 Companies 202 Lieutenant Units (Stations) 48 Brigades 26 Mountain Rescue Stations Source: Aeronaval units 15 Aeronaval Operational Units 16 Naval Stations 41 Operational Naval Sections 13 Aviation Sections Source:
Special departments
Gruppo di Investigazione Criminalità Organizzata (GICO): Organized Crime Investigation Group. Gruppo Operativo Antidroga (GOA): Counter-narcotics Group Gruppo Anticrimine Tecnologico (GAT): Counter-cybercrime Group Gruppo Tutela Patrimonio Archeologico: Stolen Art Recovery Group Antiterrorismo Pronto Impiego (ATPI): Antiterrorism and Rapid Response Service Servizio Cinofili: Police Dog Division (K9).
International anti-drug operations
From the statistical data of the anti-drug service central Direction, of the Department of the Interior, 60% of the drug seized in Italy by law enforcement bodies is found by the Guardia di Finanza. The Guardia di Finanza is responsible for 77% of the Heroin seizures, 69% of Cocaine seizures and 54% of cannabis (including Hashish) seizures.
