Major crackdown on Italy's 'Ndrangheta mafia nets 79 arrests

A sweeping police operation in Calabria, southern Italy, has resulted in the arrest of 79 individuals associated with powerful 'Ndrangheta mafia clans. The operation targeted historical families such as De Stefano, Tegano, and Condello, dismantling a suspected federation that controlled the city center of Reggio Calabria.

Over 500 police and Carabinieri officers executed arrest warrants, detaining 73 suspects and placing six under house arrest. The accused face charges including mafia association, drug trafficking, extortion, and illegal possession of firearms, with aggravating circumstances related to mafia methods. Investigations, which began in 2000, have reconstructed the organizational structures and power dynamics within these criminal groups.

Authorities believe some of the arrested individuals participated in secret mafia meetings where power balances were renegotiated, leadership roles were assigned, and profits from illicit activities were distributed. These meetings also managed relationships, including conflicts, with other criminal organizations.

The 'Ndrangheta's criminal activities encompass territorial control, systematic intimidation and extortion of businesses, drug trafficking, and money laundering through shell companies. Notably, some suspects were allegedly involved in securing tenders for the maintenance and cleaning of trains and industrial plants within the Reggio Calabria railway hub.