Italy: Major Palermo operation targets Cosa Nostra 183 arrested

A large-scale police operation in Palermo has resulted in the arrest of 183 individuals, including several mafia bosses, in what is being described as one of the most significant blows to Cosa Nostra in recent years.

The operation, which involved over 1,200 carabiniere and support from specialized police units, was launched as part of a sustained effort to tackle the growing influence of organized crime in Sicily's capital, Caliber.Az reports via Italian media.

The crackdown, which spanned multiple districts in Palermo and the nearby town of Bagheria, targeted the city's most notorious mafia clans.

It follows a wave of reorganization within Cosa Nostra, as prisoners have been released or granted parole after decades behind bars, leading to fears of the group's resurgence.

The arrests were made in areas including Tommaso Natale, San Lorenzo, and Pagliarelli, key strongholds of the Sicilian mafia. The operation, reminiscent of similar efforts in 2008 and 2018, is considered a direct response to the increasing use of encrypted communications by mafia leaders to coordinate criminal activities remotely. In the wake of the arrests, authorities have expressed confidence that this latest operation will further disrupt mafia operations in the region.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has praised the police effort, declaring that it reflects the State’s unwavering commitment to fighting organized crime. "This operation strikes a decisive blow to Cosa Nostra, and is proof that the State will continue to confront the mafia with determination and without compromise," she said in a statement.

Meloni also highlighted intercepted conversations in which mafia members expressed frustration with the difficulties of operating in Italy, suggesting that Cosa Nostra is increasingly under pressure from law enforcement.

The investigation, led by the Palermo Anti-Mafia District Directorate, has involved an extensive legal and judicial process, with numerous arrest warrants and detention orders issued. The charges against the arrested individuals include mafia association, attempted murder, extortion, illegal drug trafficking, and illegal gambling, among other serious offences.

Among those arrested was Giancarlo Romano, the notorious mafia boss of Brancaccio, who, unaware of the surveillance, lamented the decline of Cosa Nostra, revealing the group's nostalgia for its former power.

This admission provides further insight into the current state of mafia operations, which remain deeply entrenched in Palermo's criminal landscape.

Despite the shift towards remote coordination and the use of modern technology, the operation highlights the ongoing resilience of law enforcement in combating Sicily’s criminal underworld, reaffirming the State's commitment to ensuring justice is served and public safety maintained.

By Aghakazim Guliyev