"Ndrangheta manipulated contracts about mouth masks"
Italian police say nine people were arrested on Monday suspected of tampering with contracts with public health organizations. The suspects belong to a clan of the southern Italian 'Ndrangheta mafia.

Financial police in Reggio Calabria say the suspects also stole or misappropriated masks and other protective equipment from doctors and nurses during the pandemic. The provincial health authority is headed by special anti-mafia commissioners. Yet that governing body has once again been infiltrated by the mafia.

Lucrative contracts are said to have been awarded to companies associated with the mafia. False invoices are also alleged to have been submitted and there are allegations of extortion and other frauds.

Under average
One of the suspects is the health authority's finance director and another is a regional councilor whose election campaign was allegedly funded by some of the suspects, police said. A value of 12 million euros has been seized.

In the past decade, the health authority has been disbanded twice over ties to the 'Ndrangheta.

Calabria is the region where the 'Ndrangheta takes root. For years, the local health care system has struggled with infiltration by the crime syndicate. At the same time, the health system is underperforming. Hospitals operate without sufficient staff, equipment and other basic facilities.