Italian anti-mafia author Roberto Saviano called Thursday to legalise cocaine to suffocate organised crime as he presented a new series based on his novel ZeroZeroZero at the Venice film festival.

"Legalising cocaine would mean cutting off access to the oil wells of criminal organisations, legalisation would transform the world economy," Saviano told journalists.

The series about so-called "white oil" is directed by Stefano Sollima, famed for "Gomorra", the television adaptation of the novel with which Saviano rose to fame in 2006.

"It is the only economy comparable to oil," he said after the screening of two episodes from the series, co-produced by Amazon, Sky and Canal+ and shot around the world, from Italy to Mexico, in six languages.

"Cocaine is bought in Colombia for 2,000 euros (2,200 dollars) per kilo, arrives in Mexico with a price of 15,000 euros per kilo, goes to the US for 27,000 euros and arrives in Italy for 54,000 euros, England for 70,000," he said. 

"Nothing in the world gives more profits," he said.

"The series is a narrative about the power and economy of our time, about what I think contemporary capitalism is. And drug trafficking is one of its weapons," he explained. 

Saviano, 39, has been under police protection since publishing his international mafia bestseller "Gomorrah" in 2006.

"Everyone's life is affected by drug trafficking and its profits," said director Sollima. 

"Regardless of whether you're a consumer or not. That is the heart of the book and the raison d'etre of the series.