Police deal a devastating blow to the Puglian mafia or Sacra Corona Unita
Italian Police on Tuesday seized assets worth millions of euros and arrested dozens of members of the Puglian mafia for a cluster of crimes, including extortion and drug dealing, reports Ansa news
The suspects, all alleged affiliates of clan Di Cosola operating in the southern Puglia region, included a local businessman in the construction sector and several women, who allegedly managed the organization’s accounts
Investigators say the clan dominated vital sectors of the local economy including construction and gaming by extracting a ‘tax’ of 100 euros per slot and video poker machines in the area under its control and by forcing construction companies to use substandard cement
It also allegedly dominated the local drugs trade through a parallel organization, with 250 episodes of dealing documented during the course of investigations.
Assets worth a whopping 10 million euros including properties, vehicles, companies and financial products were also seized in the operation.
