Italian police arrest 200 members of 'ndrangheta mafia group
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By MAARTEN VAN AALDEREN

1 hour ago
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ROME - With a massive wave of arrests of more than 200 people, the Italian police dealt a major blow to the 'ndrangheta, the infamous mafia from the southern Italian region of Calabria.

Among the detainees are lawyer Marcello Manna, mayor of the municipality of Rende in the province of Cosenza, along with two aldermen. Manna was also president of the National Association of Italian Municipalities ANCI in Calabria. He is currently under house arrest.

Corruption
The exact allegations against him have not yet been made public, but it is certain that according to justice he must be associated with the 'ndrangheta. He had already been investigated for corruption. Marcello Manna was elected mayor in 2019, receiving over 57% of the vote. At the time, he was supported by six election lists. Among the other detainees are, in addition to exponents of the 'ndrangheta, local administrators and entrepreneurs.

The police have seized goods and real estate worth 72 million euros, including an ultralight aircraft, a sailing yacht, a water scooter, 70 cars, 7 motorcycles, dozens of illegal businesses, several land and buildings. Several Italian police forces (Polizia, Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza) were involved in the arrests. The arrests have taken place across the country. Also in cities like Milan, Turin and Parma. Justice has for many years stated that infiltration of the 'ndrangheta also takes place in northern Italian cities.

Extortion
The detainees are charged with, among other things, drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, usury, arms trafficking and illegal possession of weapons, offenses against people, causing harm and the use of fictitious property titles. Many shopkeepers were victims of the threats and extortion, including supermarkets, cafes, car suppliers, grocery stores, clothing stores, hairdressers and pharmacists. The investigation into all these offenses started in 2017 and ran until November 2021. The police used tapped telephone conversations, shadowing suspects, microphones and secret video recordings.