Police on Wednesday arrested
some 54 people as part of a probe into the 'Ndrangheta mafia
operating in Italy's central Umbria region.
Of those, 46 were jailed and another eight were placed
under house arrest.
A further seven suspects were ordered not to leave town.
Carabinieri military police seized over 30 million euros in
goods and assets as anti-mafia investigators said they found
"widespread infiltration into the local economy" by the
Calabria-based mafia.
That includes 39 companies, 106 homes, 129 vehicles, and
more than 300 bank accounts spread from Umbria into Calabria,
Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Marche and Tuscany.
Police say charges will range from mafia association to
extortion, prostitution and drug trafficking.
The 'Ndrangheta mafia became especially involved in the
construction sector, intimidating and threatening locals
including setting fires to local businesses that would not
cooperate, police said.
Arrests and seizures were made in the Umbrian capital city
of Perugia as well as other cities in the region.
The mob reinvested its illicit gains in real estate and
businesses ranging from entertainment to solar panels,
investigators said.
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