Raids and arrests in anti-mafia operation in Italy and Germany
A total of 29 arrests have been made in Italy and Germany in a major operation against the mafia. Most of the detainees were rounded up in Italy, the Italian police reported.
The suspects were arrested this morning in various regions of Italy. They are believed to have ties to the 'ndrangheta, the mafia that originated in Calabria.
In Germany, arrests and raids have been made in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland.
According to German media, hundreds of police officers were involved in the operation. The Italian news agency ANSA reports that lawyers and accountants are among the detainees.
In Germany, a police officer was arrested, the public prosecutor's office and the police in Waiblingen announced. The arrested officer is a member of the Baden-Württemberg police and is said to have supported the Calabrian mafia 'Ndrangheta. An arrest warrant has been issued for the 46-year-old man for betrayal of secrets.
The 'ndrangheta is one of the largest and most powerful mafia organizations in Italy, with contacts and activities all over the world. The mafia earns its money mainly from the drug trade, especially cocaine. The 'Ndrangheta is known to have worldwide branches. It is seen as more dangerous than the Sicilian Cosa Nostra or the Camorra from Naples.
The operation follows a joint investigation by German and Italian authorities. Mafia organizations are said to use the German state of Baden-Württemberg as a refuge and also carry out criminal activities there. According to the latest information from the German Ministry of the Interior, around 170 people involved in organized crime live in the state, but according to experts the actual number is much higher.
According to the ministry, the gang members are active in a broad spectrum of crimes, from fraudulent food trade, drug trafficking, weapons offenses and money laundering to tax fraud.
Tuesday's raids, according to Italian police, also come after information from Interpol's I-CAN project. Thanks to I-CAN, Interpol Cooperation Against 'Ndrangheta in full, more than a hundred suspects have been arrested since 2020. Twenty countries are participating, with Germany and Italy being particularly involved.
