Italian
police have launched a major sweep for 163 suspected members of the 'ndrangheta
mafia. Arrests were made in Calabria, its southern homeland, as well as Italy's
northern region of Emilia-Romagna.
Deutsche Welle, 28 Jan 2015
Italy's
national anti-mafia prosecutor, Franco Roberti, described Wednesday's arrests
as "historic" for the juristic battle against 'ndrangheta and its
expanded operations.
More than
40 arrests were made in southern Calabria, but the bulk of them, 117, took
place in towns and cities across northern Italy, most in the region of Emilia
Romagna.
In recent
years the 'ndrangheta has taken control of Europe's cocaine trade, overtaking
the Sicilian and Neapolitan mafias, and has made inroads into Latin America and
the United States.
Roberti
described the group as a "deeply implanted and very dangerous criminal
organization."
"It is
an impressive and decisive step against the mafia in the north," he said.
Arrests
made by thousands of police
Thousands
of police were involved in the arrest operation codenamed "Aemilia"
on Wednesday, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
Bologna's
chief prosecutor, Roberto Alfonso, said at a press conference that those
arrested in the north included six alleged bosses of a semi-autonomous clan.
The
suspects faced charges of extortion, usury, participation in mafia
organizations and illegal possession of weapons.
Last week, Italian police made 31 arrests in connection with an alleged plot by an
offshoot of the 'ndrangheta' to take control of the cocaine trade.
Links with
Colombia and Morocco
The bosses
of a 'ndrangheta offshoot were reported to have lived in Rome for years, and to
have established links with cocaine producers in Colombia and smuggling
operators in Morocco.
In the
course of last week's Rome raids, police seized some 600 kilograms (1,300
pounds) of cocaine, hashish and a stash of firearms.
Police said
those arrests stemmed from inquiries into the 2013 murder of Roman mobster
Vincenzo Femia and secret video recordings of induction ceremonies.
The name
'ndrangheta comes from Greek for courage or loyalty.
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