Police on Friday seized baseball
bats and iron bars during an operation in the Tuscan city of
Prato as part of a probe into alleged vigilante raids committed
by members of the local Chinese community against North Africans
and Roma people.
Police carried out nine different search operations in the
area of Prato, also involving Chinese cultural association Cervo
Bianco.
Officers in particular searched the homes of seven people
suspected of organizing raids against Maghrebi and Roma people
accused by the Chinese community of robberies targeting Chinese
enterprises.
The suspects have been charged with criminal conspiracy
involving racially-motivated assaults.
Two of the seven suspects under investigation reportedly
took part this week in a revolt by some 400-500 Chinese textile
workers at the nearby town of Sesto Fiorentino following a
health and hygiene inspection by the local health authority.
The probe in Prato is, however, not reportedly connected to
the revolt.
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