Italian Police Arrest Prison Servant Related To Mafia 'Ndrangheta

UNSPLASH/Umanoide ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Italian police arrested a monk and 24 others as part of a 'Ndrangheta mafia investigation in the city of Brescia.

Citing three sources, Reuters reported Sister Anna Donelli, a volunteer at the San Vittore Milan prison, was suspected of collusing mafia and acting as an intermediary between the criminal group and its jailed gang members.

The 57-year-old alone is also famous for his service in slum districts in Milan.

In February, Anna Donelli became one of the recipients of the "Golden Panettone", an annual Milan civil award.

Police press releases said two local politicians were also arrested, and 1.8 million euros ($1.89 million) were confiscated in the operation.

The statement did not mention who was the target of the raid.

The suspects are accused of various crimes including mafia associations, vote purchases, illegal possession of weapons, money laundering, moneylenders, drug trafficking and the manufacture of fake invoices, police said.

Gangs suspected of being involved in the issuance of invoices worth 12 million euros for non-existent transactions allow employers involved to lower their income and avoid taxes in exchange for commissions paid to the mafia.

Coming from the poor south of Calabria, 'Ndrangheta has grown into the most powerful mafia organization in Italy, and has spread throughout Europe and the rest of the world, into the so-called white collar crime.