A monk is among 24 people arrested in northern Italy in connection with a mafia investigation, Italian police said.
The nun, identified in the Italian press as Sister Anna Donelli, has been arrested on suspicion of being a liaison to the ‘Ndrangheta mafia and its gang members.
Police also arrested two politicians and seized assets worth more than €1.8m (£1.5m) in raids in several towns in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, as well as Calabria in the south.
The arrests are the result of a four-year investigation into the ‘Ndrangheta, one of the most powerful and dangerous criminal organizations in Europe.
Statements issued by a coalition of law enforcement agencies after serious information on allegations that the monk used his position as a volunteer in prison.
The Brescia Carabinieri said he was an unsuspecting person, whose religious role allowed him “free access to prison facilities”.
The police statements did not identify the politicians or any other targets of the investigation.
The operation continues, as hundreds of police search across northern Italy.
They are assisted by a unit of arms and drug detection dogs, as well as “money dogs” trained to search for money, police said.
Investigators suspect that the group used metal trading businesses as part of the money laundering scheme, with an estimated €12m of stolen money, prosecutors said.
Originating in the poor region of Calabria, the ‘Ndrangheta is considered one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world.
In November last year, more than 200 people were sentenced to more than 2,200 years in prison. one of the biggest Italian mafia trials in generations.
Source link
