The police of a number of European countries, as well as law enforcement officers of Brazil and Panama, conducted a mass raid on members of the Italian ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate. As a result, more than 100 people were arrested, informs Reuters.
The international operation “Eureka” was headed by Germany. The raid itself was preceded by four years of investigation, covering Italy, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Romania, Brazil and Panama.
“Today’s raids are one of the largest operations carried out so far in the fight against Italian organized crime,” German Interior Minister Nancy Feiser said, adding that they “dealt a serious blow to the ‘Ndrangheta.”
Most of those arrested, about 100 people, were detained by police in the Italian city of San Luca. Here, according to some reports, one of the main clans of the crime syndicate is based.
Investigators believe the ‘Ndrangheta was involved in transporting weapons from Pakistan to South America. The deliveries went to the Brazilian criminal group PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital) in exchange for shipments of cocaine. Money from illegal activities was then channeled through a network of small shops and cafes scattered throughout Europe.
At the beginning of 2023, the police also detained one of the most dangerous criminals in Italy, the boss of the Sicilian mafia organization Cosa Nostra, Matteo Messina Denaro. He was wanted for 30 years. Then was arrested and his sister.
