'Deadly blow' dealt to Bari mafia clan

(ANSA) - Bari, April 21 - Carabinieri police on Tuesday arrested dozens of suspected members of a mafia clan operating in the southern Puglia region in what they described as a "deadly blow" to part of the local Sacra Corona Unita crime syndicate.
    The suspects, all alleged affiliates of the Di Cosola clan operating in and around Bari, included a local businessman engaged in the construction sector and several women who allegedly managed the organization's accounts.
    Investigators say the clan dominated various sectors of the local economy including construction and gaming by allegedly extracting a 'tax' of 100 euros per slot machine in the area under its control.
    It also purportedly dominated the local drugs market through a parallel organization, with 250 episodes of dealing documented during the course of investigations. Assets worth millions of euros including properties, vehicles, companies and financial products were also seized in the operation.