Italy arrests 97 in major crackdown on mafia cell across 14 provinces

In a sweeping anti-mafia operation spanning 14 provinces, Italian authorities have arrested 97 individuals accused of ties to the notorious 'Ndrangheta criminal network.

The crackdown targets members and collaborators of one of Italy’s most powerful and secretive mafia organizations, rooted in the southern region of Calabria, Caliber.Az reports, citing Spanish news agency EFE.

The arrests were carried out by the Carabinieri of Reggio Calabria, with support from special forces in Calabria and Sicily, as well as international law enforcement bodies. The operation, code-named “Millennium”, was coordinated by the Reggio Calabria Anti-Mafia Directorate.

The detainees face a wide range of serious charges, including mafia association, drug trafficking, kidnapping, political corruption, and illegal weapons possession. Authorities say the suspects were directly involved in or facilitated the mafia’s criminal operations both in Italy and abroad.

Investigators revealed that the arrests followed extensive intelligence work uncovering a tightly knit network among key 'Ndrangheta families. This collaboration reportedly enabled large-scale drug trafficking across national and international borders.

The 'Ndrangheta, often considered more influential than the Sicilian Cosa Nostra in recent decades, has expanded its global footprint by controlling a significant share of Europe's cocaine trade. Despite its low-profile and clan-based structure, it continues to pose a major challenge to Italian and international law enforcement.

By Khagan Isayev