Italian police have arrested almost 150 people in a significant operation against the Sicilian mafia in Palermo, areas of which remain in the grip of powerful Cosa Nostra clans.
Police in Sicily arrest almost 150 people in mafia crackdown More than 1,200 officers involved in dawn raids in Palermo, in biggest operation against Cosa Nostra since 1984.
Despite numerous arrests over the years, the Sicilian mafia “still manages to attract a large number of young people who embrace its principles” and offer to work for them, police said.
While Cosa Nostra bosses these days try to resolve disputes peacefully to avoid attracting attention, weapons were found in Tuesday’s blitz, police said, while reporting incidents of brutal beatings.
Warrants were issued against a total of 183 people on Tuesday, 36 of whom were already in custody, for crimes including mafia-type criminal association, attempted murder, extortion, drug trafficking and illegal gambling, police said.
