Criminal Network Construction and Analysis from Italian Civil Cases: A Case Study

Criminal networks are complex systems that exploit social connections among their members. Analyzing these networks presents challenges, especially concerning data management. Researchers typically use either micro or macro approaches for criminal network analysis. The micro approach involves examining small criminal groups or organizations using judicial documents, intelligence reports, or investigation files. Conversely, the macro approach deals with larger networks at regional, national, or international levels, utilizing intelligence databases or archives. This paper employs institutional databases and open source intelligence to generate two networks: a large network from civil cases in the Court of a Sicilian city (in the period 2010–2014), and a smaller criminal network involved in a fraud case against the Public Administration. A preliminary analysis is conducted to identify key figures and communities in the criminal network.