Germany, Italy clamp down on Italian mob with raids, arrest
BERLIN (AP) Police across Europe arrested dozens of people, raided homes and seized millions of euros in assets on Wednesday, in a coordinated crackdown on Italys ndrangheta organized crime syndicate, one of the worlds most powerful, extensive and wealthy drug-trafficking groups.
The operation, coordinated by European Union judicial cooperation agency Eurojust, aimed to dismantle a network that includes the ndrangheta, Colombian drug producers and paramilitary groups, and moves tons of cocaine to Europe and Australia each year.
The investigation uncovered how these networks used ports in Ecuador, Panama and Brazil to ship the Colombian drugs to northern European ports while also dealing in weapons. The drug proceeds were then laundered through restaurants, ice cream shops and car washes, and money sent back to Colombian drug producers via a Chinese wire transfer service, according to Italian officials and a Carabinieri press release.
With todays coordinated measures across Europe, law enforcement authorities have dealt a serious blow to the ndrangheta, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said. Todays raids are one of the largest operations to date in the fight against Italian organized crime.
https://apnews.com/article/germany-europe-italy-raids-ndrangheta-96ef8b70d669ddc726dd0acaa426dbc6