The ''Guardia di Finanza'' (G. di F. or GdF) () (
English:
literal
Literal may refer to:
* Interpretation of legal concepts:
** Strict constructionism
** The plain meaning rule (a.k.a. "literal rule")
* Literal (mathematical logic), certain logical roles taken by propositions
* Literal (computer programmin ...
: ''Guard of Finance'',
paraphrased
A paraphrase () is a restatement of the meaning of a text or passage using other words. The term itself is derived via Latin ', . The act of paraphrasing is also called ''paraphrasis''.
History
Although paraphrases likely abounded in oral tra ...
: ''Financial Police'' or ''Financial Guard'') is an Italian
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term ...
agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. It is a militarized police force, forming a part of the
Ministry of Economy and Finance, not the
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
. Guardia di Finanza is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's primary agency for suppressing the
illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...
. It maintains over 600 boats and ships and more than 100 aircraft to serve in its mission of patrolling Italy's
territorial waters
The term territorial waters is sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potenti ...
.
They also have the role of
border police
A border guard of a country is a national security agency that performs border security. Some of the national border guard agencies also perform coast guard (as in Germany, Italy or Ukraine) and rescue service duties.
Name and uniform
In diff ...
and
customs duties at Italian airports.
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cr ...
summarizes the Guardia di Finanza (Ministry of Economy and Finance) as "a force with military status and nationwide remit for financial crime investigations and illegal drugs trafficking investigations".
Mission
The mission and institutional tasks of Guardia di Finanza are stated in the law 189 of April 23, 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 and political-military defense of the borders).
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 inflow 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 financial, economic, judiciary and public safety:
tax evasion
Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the tax ...
, financial crimes,
smuggling,
money laundering
Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdiction ...
, international
illegal drug trafficking
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...
,
illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
,
human trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extr ...
,
modern slavery,
customs and borders checks,
copyright violations, anti-
Mafia
"Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of ...
operations,
credit card fraud,
cybercrime
A cybercrime is a crime that involves a computer or a computer network.Moore, R. (2005) "Cyber crime: Investigating High-Technology Computer Crime," Cleveland, Mississippi: Anderson Publishing. The computer may have been used in committing t ...
,
counterfeiting
To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...
currency,
terrorist financing
Terrorism financing is the provision of funds or providing financial support to individual terrorists or non-state actors.
Most countries have implemented measures to counter terrorism financing (CTF) often as part of their money laundering la ...
, maintaining
public order
In criminology, public-order crime is defined by Siegel (2004) as "crime which involves acts that interfere with the operations of society and the ability of people to function efficiently", i.e., it is behaviour that has been labelled criminal ...
, and safety, political and military defense of the Italian
border
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political bo ...
s.
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, in the supervision of the observance of the provisions of political and economic interest and in 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 to military defense along national borders".
History
Light Troops Legion (1774)
The origins of the Guardia di Finanza date back to October 5, 1774, when the "Light Troops Legion" (''Legione truppe leggere'') was set up under the
King of Sardinia
The following is a list of rulers of Sardinia, in particular, of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica from 1323 and then of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1479 to 1861.
Early history
Owing to the absence of written sources, litt ...
,
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 defense.
Customs Guards Corps (1862)
Once the
unification of Italy
The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single s ...
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 defense during wartime.
''Corpo della Regia Guardia di Finanza'' (1881)
By Law no. 141 dated April 8, 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 July 14, 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 July 12, 1908. The Corps served in the two
World Wars
A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...
and in the
War of National Liberation
Wars of national liberation or national liberation revolutions are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) to establish separ ...
, deserving 18 awards to 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
A natural disaster is "the negative impact following an actual occurrence of natural hazard in the event that it significantly harms a community". A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some econo ...
; for this commitment the Corps was decorated with 13 additional civil valor 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
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
responsible for military preparation, and the Commanding
General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
, 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
Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any ot ...
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 equipped with a data processing centre, 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 April 23, 1959, which laid down its institutional tasks, subsequently amended by specific sector provisions assigning certain responsibilities.
Recent history
Besides the review of its organizational structure, laid out by the issuance of Presidential Decree Law no. 34 dated January 29, 1999, the updating of the Corps’ institutional tasks was completed. Law Decree no. 68, dated March 19, 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 European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
.
The Guardia di Finanza Historical Museum is custodian of the traditions of the Corps. It preserves artifacts of relevance to the Guardia di Finanza and promotes historical research, to aid researchers, scholars and military history enthusiasts.
Chiasso financial smuggling case
On June 3, 2009 near
Chiasso, Switzerland (near the Swiss/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
United States Treasury securities, also called Treasuries or Treasurys, are government debt instruments issued by the United States Department of the Treasury to finance government spending as an alternative to taxation. Since 2012, U.S. go ...
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
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...
, 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 Center
** Naval Center
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
The ''Counter-terrorism Rapid Response'' (Italian: Antiterrorismo Pronto Impiego, or ATPI) force, formed in 1983, is a special police unit of the Guardia di Finanza dealing with anti-terrorism in Italy. The unit took part in counterterroris ...
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 Gruppo may refer to:
* groupset, a bicycle component manufacturer's organized collection of mechanical parts
*Leonard Gruppo (born 1942), a politician in Pennsylvania
See also
*'
{{disambig ...
(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
The ''Counter-terrorism Rapid Response'' (Italian: Antiterrorismo Pronto Impiego, or ATPI) force, formed in 1983, is a special police unit of the Guardia di Finanza dealing with anti-terrorism in Italy. The unit took part in counterterror ...
(ATPI): Antiterrorism and Rapid Response Service
* Servizio Cinofili: Police Dog Division (K9).
International anti-drug operations
From the statistic 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
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
seizures and 54% of
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternativel ...
(including
Hashish
Hashish ( ar, حشيش, ()), also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a cannabis (drug), drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds (female flowers) containing the most trichomes. Eu ...
) seizures.
On 9 August 2018, the Guardia di Finanza intercepted research ship Remus (Panama-flagged) in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship was taken to Palermo in Sicily for further investigation, according to Guardia di Finanza.
Following the investigation, the authorities discovered 20 tons of hashish hidden in the ship's fuel tanks.
The entire Remus crew of eleven has been arrested. All of them are nationals of Montenegro, the authorities informed.
The hashish, worth between EUR 150 million and 200 million, was probably destined for the European market.
On 31 January 2019 the Guardia di Finanza seized more than 2 tons of cocaine in
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of t ...
, northern Italy, which were on board a ship coming from
Colombia and heading to
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. «1,801 pure cocaine cakes, for a total weight of over 2,100 kilograms». The seized cocaine has an estimated value of about 500 million euros: it is the largest seizure of cocaine found in Italy in the last 25 years.
On July 29, 2019, the Guardia di Finanza of Genoa seized of cocaine, with the collaboration and undercover agents of the United States
D.E.A., the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the
Colombian National Police. The drug was in a ship from Colombia and direct to the Calabrian mafia called 'Ndrangheta.
On July 1, 2020, a world record in drugs seized by the Italian Guardia di Finanza in Naples: 14 tons of amphetamines, 84 million tablets with logo "captagon" produced in Syria by ISIS/Daesh to finance terrorism. More than 1 billion euro market value.
This is the largest seizure of amphetamines in the world, carried out by the Neapolitan Guardia di Finanza in execution of a specific decree issued by the Public Prosecutor of Naples - DDA and developed as part of a complex investigation activity delegated to the GICO (organized crime investigation unit of the guardia di finanza) against a network of criminal groups aiming to import a huge amount of drugs for European consumers. After the lockdown period, due to the epidemiological emergency from Covid 19, in fact, law enforcement activities have been intensified in the specific sector.
From the development of the clues that emerged during the investigation and particularly from other seizures previously made, the guardia di finanza tracked 3 suspect containers shipped to the port of Salerno, allegedly containing paper cylinders for industrial and machinery use.
After the seizure, the GICO of NAPLES moved the containers to an equipped factory to carry out the internal inspection.
The paper cylinders, about 2 meters high and 140 cm in diameter - likely built in Germany - were designed in multilayer in order to conceal the drugs. A perfect wall against the scan detection.
In the inner layers, about 350 kg of tablets per cylinder were stored (40 cylinders checked).
A total of 14 tons of amphetamines have been found, which means 84 million tablets, bearing the symbol of the "captagon" which distinguishes the "jihad drug" made by ISIS. ISIS / Daesh finances its own terrorist activities especially by means of drug trafficking, the synthetic ones massively produced in Syria, which has become for this reason in recent years the first world producer of amphetamines.
The
captagon is marketed throughout the Middle East and then widespread both among fighters to inhibit fear and pain and among civilians as a fatigue relief. Initially produced mainly in Lebanon and widespread in Saudi Arabia in the 90s, this drug has also been used by terrorists in the attack to Bataclan on Paris in 2015 - thus becoming the "Isis drug" or "Jihad drug".
According to the American DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), ISIS makes extensive use of it in all the territories over which it has influence. Once the chemical plants of production are set, ISIS can easily produce large amounts of tablets for the world market of synthetic drugs, and therefore quickly funding their terror plots.
Two weeks ago, still in the port of Salerno, the specialists of the Organized Crime Investigation Group (GICO) of the Guardia di Finanza, detected and seized another container with a roofing load consisting of counterfeited clothing, hiding 2,800 kg of hashish and 190 kg of amphetamines (over 1 million tablets) with the very same symbol (captagon).
As for the final dealer, no single criminal group can afford a 1-billion purchase, so the investigators think about a "Consortium" of criminal groups, both for the total value of shipments, and for distribution on the reference markets (85 million tablets can satisfy a European market).
The hypothesis is that during the lockdown, due to the emergency worldwide epidemiology, the production and distribution of drugs in Europe has practically stopped and therefore to the recovery many traffickers, even in consortium, have turned to Syria, whose production does not seem to have slowed down.
Further investigations are ongoing to identify all the entities linked to this extraordinary seizure.
On the June 19, 2021 the Guardia di Finanza, during a special operation fight smuggling and narcotic trafficking, seized 6 tonnes of hashish found aboard a USA flagged yacht off the west coast of Sicily. The three crew members on board the vessel, identified as Bulgarian nationals, were arrested and taken to Palermo prison.
According to the police, the street value of the drugs seized, found hidden in the interior of the ship, is approximately 13 million euros.
On the June 06, 2022, Italian Guardia di Finanza they have pulled off one of Europe's biggest-ever drugs impoundments, seizing 4.3 tonnes of cocaine in the port of Trieste. Investigators said the criminal gangs that bought the narcotics paid around 96 million euros for it and it would have been sold on the Italian market for a total of around 240 million euros. The operation, coordinated by DDA anti-mafia investigators, saw arrests and other freedom-restricting warrants executed with respect to 38 suspects. Around two million euros in cash was impounded too.
Another hard blow to the most important group among Colombian narcotics gangs,” Italian investigators from the northeastern city of Trieste said of the seizure.
The Guardia di Finanza agents said their work had uncovered a “dense network” of ties between South American cocaine producers and European buyers, who answered to organized crime groups operating across Italy, including in Calabria, home of the ‘Ndrangheta mafia.
The investigation lasted more than a year and involved both the Colombian Police, National Spanish Police and US Homeland Security. Besides the cocaine, police also confiscated 1.85 million euros in cash.
Personnel
The ''Guardia di Finanza'' utilises a rank structure similar to that of other state police forces in Italy, but with ranks similar to the Italian Army. The Guardia di Finanza has around 68,000 members (agents, senior agents, superintendents, inspectors, and
officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
). Its personnel are in service in the
Europol and
OLAF (European Agency of Fight against Fraud). Its Latin motto since 1933 has been ''Nec recisa recedit'' ( it, Neanche spezzata retrocede, en, Does not retreat even if broken).
Officers
There are 3,250 officers in the Guardia di Finanza. Officer cadets for the general and aeronaval branches are recruited through competitive examinations open to Italian citizens, not over 22 years of age, with a high school diploma giving access to university studies. Officer cadets for the technical and logistic branches need a bachelor or master's degree, and to be under the age of 32.
["Entrare nella Guardia di Finanza." ](_blank)
Retrieved 2017-01-15. Officer cadets for the general and aeronaval branches are trained during three years undergraduate studies at the at the campus in
Bergamo
Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes C ...
, followed by two years graduate studies at the campus in Rome. The successful cadets graduate as First Lieutenants with a master's degree in Economic and Financial Security Sciences.
"Accademia." ''Guardia di Finanza.''
Retrieved 2017-01-15.
File:Rank insignia of generale di corpo d'armata con incarichi speciali of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, General of Army Corps
(Lieutenant-General); General commanding the Guardia di Finanza.
File:Rank insignia of generale di corpo d'armata comandante in seconda of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, General of Army Corps
(Lieutenant-General); Second-in-Command of the Guardia di Finanza.
File:Rank insignia of generale di corpo d'armata of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, General of Army Corps (Lieutenant-General); interregional commanders have this rank.
File:Rank insignia of generale di divisione con incarico superiore of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Divisional General (Major-General, temporary Lieutenant-General).
File:Rank insignia of generale di divisione of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Divisional General (Major-General); regional commanders have this rank.
File:Rank insignia of generale di brigata con incarico superiore of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Brigade General (Brigadier-General, temporary Major-General)
File:Rank insignia of generale di brigata of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Brigade General (Brigadier General); provincial commanders have this rank.
Source:["Ufficiali Generale." ''Guardia di Finanza.''](_blank)
Retrieved 2017-01-15.
File:Rank insignia of colonnello comandante con funzioni superiori of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Colonel, temporary Brigadier-General (Brigadier)
File:Rank insignia of colonnello comandante con incarico superiore of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Colonel, acting Brigadier-General (Brigadier)
File:Rank insignia of colonnello comandante di corpo of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Colonel, commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latit ...
(Colonel-Commandant)
File:Rank insignia of colonnello of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Colonel; some provincial commanders have this rank.
File:Rank insignia of tenente colonnello con funzioni superiori of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Lieutenant-Colonel, temporary Colonel (Senior Lieutenant Colonel)
File:Rank insignia of tenente colonnello con incarico superiore of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Lieutenant-Colonel, acting Colonel (Senior Lieutenant Colonel)
File:Rank insignia of tenente colonnello comandante di corpo of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding officer
File:Rank insignia of tenente colonnello of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Lieutenant-Colonel.
File:Rank insignia of maggiore comandante di corpo of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Major, commanding officer
File:Rank insignia of maggiore of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Major.
Source:
File:Rank insignia of primo capitano of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Senior Captain
Senior captain is a rank which is used in some countries' armed forces, navies, merchant marines, civil aviation and in the airline industry.
Army
In some armies of the world, the senior captain is a rank between a regular captain and a major. ...
()
File:Rank insignia of capitano of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
()
File:Rank insignia of tenente con incarico superiore of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...
- Acting Captain
File:Rank insignia of tenente of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, First Lieutenant (); first rank after graduation from the Academy.
File:Rank insignia of sottotenente of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Sublieutenant () (Second Lieutenant); rank after three year at the Academy.
Source:
Inspectors
There are 24,000 inspectors in the Guardia di Finanza. Participation in the competition for the recruitment of inspectors in the general and naval branches is open to Italian citizens aged between 18 and 26 years, having a diploma of secondary school giving access to university studies. Inspector cadets attend the in L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide vall ...
for three years, at the same time studying at the local university, finally graduating with a bachelor's degree in business law and appointment as warrant officers. Inspectors in the naval branch continue with a year at the nautical school in Gaeta
Gaeta (; lat, Cāiēta; Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a city in the province of Latina, in Lazio, Southern Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples.
The town has played a consp ...
.["Opportunita' di scelta e carriera nella Guardia di Finanza." ''InformaGiovanni."](_blank)
Retrieved 2017-01-15.
Inspectors are formally classified as senior non-commissioned officers, but are according to training and job description more akin to U.S. warrant officers.
File:Luogotenente_c.s.png, Sub-lieutenant special class () ( Chief Warrant Officer 5); commands Lieutenant Units (Stations).
File:Rank insignia of luogotenente of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Sub-lieutenant () ( Chief Warrant Officer 5); commands Lieutenant Units (Stations).
File:Rank insignia of maresciallo aiutante of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Adjutant Marshal() (Chief Warrant Officer 4)
File:Rank insignia of maresciallo aiutante of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Chief Marshal () (Chief Warrant Officer 3)
File:Rank insignia of maresciallo ordinario of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Ordinary Marshal () (Chief Warrant Officer 2)
File:Rank insignia of maresciallo of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Marshal () (Warrant Officer 1)
File:Rank insignia of allievo maresciallo of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Inspector Cadet ()
Source:
Superintendents
There are 13,500 superintendents in the Guardia di Finanza. Superintendents are recruited through promotion from the ranks of the senior agents. They are trained at a three-months course at the in L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide vall ...
.
File:Rank insignia of brigadiere capo of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Chief Brigadier special class () (Master Sergeant)
''same insignia as Chief Brigadier with star above chevron''
File:Rank insignia of brigadiere capo of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Chief Brigadier () (Sergeant First Class)
File:Rank insignia of brigadiere of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Brigadier () (Staff Sergeant)
File:Rank insignia of vice brigadiere of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Vice Brigadier () (Sergeant)
Source:
Appointees and Agents
There are 28,000 appointees (senior agents) and agents in the Guardia di Finanza. Competition for appointments as agents trainee is open for Italian citizens with one year's enlistment in the Italian defence forces. Recruits are given basic training at either the Recruit School in Bari or the Alpine School in Predazzo
Predazzo (, literally big meadow) is a village and ''comune'' in the province of Trento, northern Italy. Predazzo is located about 58 kilometres northeast of Trento in Val di Fiemme.
It is one of the main centers of Val di Fiemme (the other is ...
.
File:Rank insignia of appuntato scelto of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Senior appointee specialist () (Corporal first class Corporal first class is a military rank in use by many militaries and is usually a non-commissioned officer.
Singapore
Corporal first class (CFC) is the highest enlistee rank in the Singapore Armed Forces, ranking above corporal. This honourable ...
)
''same insignia as Senior Appointee with star above chevron''
File:Rank insignia of appuntato scelto of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Senior Appointee () (Corporal
Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...
)
File:Rank insignia of appuntato of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Appointee () (Lance corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually eq ...
)
File:Rank insignia of finanziere scelto of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Select Agent () (Specialist)
File:Rank insignia of finanziere of the Guardia di Finanza.svg, Agent () (Specialist
Specialist may refer to:
Occupations
* Specialist (rank), a military rank
** Specialist (Singapore)
* Specialist (arena football)
* Specialist degree, in academia
* Specialty (medicine)
* Designated market maker, in the American stock market
* ...
)
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Equipment and vehicles
Weapons
* Pistols: Beretta 92
The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers c ...
, Beretta 84 BB , Beretta 85 BB and Beretta PX4 Storm
* Submachine gun: Beretta PM 12 S2, Beretta PMX, MP5 and MP7
The Heckler & Koch MP7 (German: ''Maschinenpistole 7'') is a personal defense weapon chambered for the HK 4.6×30mm armor-piercing cartridge designed by German defence manufacturer Heckler & Koch.
It was designed (together with the new cartrid ...
* Assault rifle: Beretta SC70/90, Beretta ARX160, M4 Carbine
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The M4 is extensively ...
and HK416
* Combat shotgun: SPAS-12 and SPAS-15
* Sniper rifle: Sako TRG-22/42 and Heckler & Koch PSG1
*General-purpose machine gun: MG 42/59
*Heavy machine gun: M2 Browning
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, ...
Cars
* Fiat Grande Punto
* Fiat Nuova Panda
* Land Rover Range Rover
*Subaru Forester
The is a compact crossover SUV that has been manufactured by Subaru since 1997. The first generation was built on the platform of the Impreza in the style of a taller station wagon, a style that continued to the second generation, while the th ...
* Volkswagen Up
*Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a series of large family cars manufactured and marketed by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen since 1973, and now in its eighth generation. It has been marketed variously as the Dasher, Santana, Quantum, Mago ...
* Fiat Croma
* Alfa Romeo Giulia
* Alfa Romeo 156
The Alfa Romeo 156 (Type 932) is a compact executive car produced by the Italian automobile manufacturer Alfa Romeo. It was introduced at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155. The 156 received a positive rec ...
* Alfa Romeo 159
The Alfa Romeo 159 (Type 939) is a compact executive car manufactured and marketed by Alfa Romeo between 2004 and 2011. Introduced at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, as a replacement for the 156, the 159 used the GM/Fiat Premium platform, shar ...
* Fiat Bravo
* Fiat Stilo 1.9 JTD
* Jeep Renegade
* Land Rover Freelander
The Land Rover Freelander is a compact luxury crossover SUV that was manufactured and marketed by Land Rover from 1997 to 2015. The second generation was sold from 2007 to 2015 in North America and the Middle East as the LR2 and in Europe as the ...
* Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover Defender (initially introduced as the Land Rover 110 / One Ten, and in 1984 joined by the Land Rover 90 / Ninety, plus the new, extra-length Land Rover 127 in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pickup trucks. They ...
* Iveco Massif
* Iveco Daily
The Iveco Daily is a large light commercial van produced by the Italian automaker Iveco since 1978; it was also sold as the Fiat Daily by Fiat until 1983. Unlike the more car-like unibody Fiat Ducato, the Daily uses a separate ladder frame ty ...
* Isuzu D-Max
The Isuzu D-Max is a pickup truck manufactured since 2002 by Isuzu Motors. A successor of the Isuzu Faster/KB, the first and second-generation model shares its platform with the Chevrolet Colorado. The third-generation model shares its platfo ...
* Fiat Scudo
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
* Land Rover Discovery
* Nissan Navara
* Jeep Renegade
* Peugeot 3008
* Iveco LMV
Fixed-wing aircraft
Helicopters
Patrol boats
Source: *Note: G.94 Cappelletti was destroyed by a fire on board on July, 2nd, 2021. All 9 crew escaped without injury. Located in 'Retired' section.
Motorboats
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Inland motorboats
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Sailing vessels
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Training ships
Source:
List of Guardia di Finanza retired vessels (since 1950)
Patrol boats
Litoral patrol boats
Fast crafts
Motorboats
Inland water motorboats
Boats
Training ships
Unit awards
The unit awards, as depicted on the unit coat-of-arms, are:
*3 blue and gold ribbons for 3 Gold Medals of Military Valour
*4 white and gold ribbons for 4 Silver Medals of Military Valour
*1 blue ribbon with VI for six Bronze Medals of Military Valour
*1 blue and white ribbon with II for two Crosses of Military Valour
*1 green-white-red ribbon with IX for nine Gold Medals of Civil Valour
*1 blue and red ribbon, with a cross, for 5 Knight's Crosses of the Military Order of Italy
Awards not included in the coat of arms but are included in its State Color are:
* 1 Gold Medal of Valor of the Finance Guard (2011)
* 1 Silver Medal of Civil Valor
* 9 Gold Medals of Civil Merit
* 2 separate Medals of Merited Service in Earthquake Relief (1908 and 1915, respectively)
* 2 Medals of Benemerited Financial Service
* 6 Gold Medals of Benemerited Service to Education, Culture and the Arts
* 2 Gold Medals of Benemerited Service to Public Health
* 2 Gold Medals of Benemerited Service to the Environment
* 1 Gold Medal of Merit of the Department of Civil Defense
* 3 Gold Medals of Merit of the Italian Red Cross
* UN Peacekeeping Medal (for service as part of UNMIK Kosovo 1995-2004)
* Gold Medal of the Eagle of the Republic of Albania (1997-2005)
* Military Double Gold Star of Sports Merit (2007)
See also
* Financial Guard (disambiguation)
* Gruppi Sportivi Fiamme Gialle
* Law enforcement in Italy
Law enforcement in Italy is centralized on a national level, carried out by multiple national forces, helped by few limited local agencies. The Italian law enforcement system is considered complex, with multiple police forces and other agencies ...
* Tax evasion
Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the tax ...
References
External links
*
The funding of international Islamic terrorism ~ Strategic analysis profiles ~ Guardia di Finanza General Headquarters - 2nd Department – Analysis Unit
Annual Report of the Guardia di Finanza
Counter-cybercrime Group of the Guardia di Finanza
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guardia Di Finanza
Customs services
Financial crime prevention
Organizations established in 1774
1774 establishments in Italy
Military units and formations established in 1774
Military of Italy
Specialist law enforcement agencies of Italy