Nearly 70 suspected ‘Ndrangheta mafiosi arrested in Italy Extreme heat claims more than 100 lives in Mexico

In a large-scale crackdown on organized crime, 68 suspected mafiosi have been arrested in Italy. They are suspected of having links with the Calabrian mafia ‘Ndrangheta.

That’s what the Carabinieri said on Friday. A number of people are accused of being involved in international drug trafficking using mob-like methods. Dozens of suspects have also been charged with other crimes, including extortion and assault. Most of the detainees were in prison, the rest were placed under house arrest.

According to media reports, prominent members of two notorious clans were also arrested during the operation in Cassano allo Ionio, Calabria, and other towns in the southern Italian province of Cosenza. These two once rival clans had therefore made a pact in recent years to divide an area in the province for their alleged criminal activities. Assets with a total value of about five million euros were also seized.

The Italian authorities are repeatedly cracking down on the various organized crime clans in the south of the Mediterranean country. The ‘Ndrangheta, which has its roots in Calabria, the toe of Italy’s boot, dominates the international drug trade. But she also earns her money from arms trafficking, money laundering and corruption. In recent decades, the organization has succeeded in expanding further and further into northern Italy. (aeg/sda/dpa)