Italian police on Thursday arrested
dozens of people in a major sweep against the Foggia mafia in
Puglia and other parts of southern, central and northern Italy
including Milan.
The arrests took place in Puglia and in the provinces of
Milan, Rimini, Fermo, Ascoli Piceno, Campobasso, Pescara,
Teramo, Naples and Salerno, police said.
Police said they had stopped a big drugs turf war.
Those arrested are variously accused of mafia association,
extortion, attempted extortion, conspiracy to trade and
distribute drugs, drug pushing, criminal damage, arms
possession, grievous bodily harm and attempted murder,
aggravated by mafia methods.
For the first time, police said, the San Severo mafia has
been accused of mafia conspiracy.
The Puglia mafia the Sacra Corona Unita (United Holy Crown,
SCU), is the smallest of Italy's four mafias.
It has dwindled to a fraction of its former strength thanks
to waves of police action.
The other three mafias are 'Ndrangheta from Calabria, Cosa
Nostra from Sicily and the Camorra from Naples.
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