A major operation against the Cosa Nostra mafia clan was carried out on the Italian island of Sicily, resulting in the arrest of more than 180 individuals.
According to the ANSA news agency, the operation, conducted around the island’s capital, Palermo, was organized by the local mafia-fighting authority. Around 1,200 law enforcement officers from all over Sicily participated in the operation.
As a result of the raids, 181 people were arrested, and it is believed that representatives of all levels of the Cosa Nostra clan were among them, including “bosses” and smaller “coordinators” from both Palermo and other regions.
The operation was the outcome of an investigation in which law enforcement uncovered attempts by Cosa Nostra to resume its operations following a series of arrests in previous years. It was also revealed that some imprisoned members of the clan had managed to illegally obtain communication devices, allowing them to continue coordinating their associates, including organizing drug trafficking and meetings, while still behind bars.
The arrested individuals are facing charges of participating in a criminal organization, attempted murder, drug trafficking, and other crimes. At the end of 2024, there were also raids against the “Ndrangheta” mafia clan, considered one of the most powerful in Italy. In November 2023, the largest trial against members of the clan in the past thirty years concluded, resulting in over 200 convictions.
