Skip to main content

heavy blow to the Mafia on Tuesday by arresting 17 suspects

Italian police dealt a heavy blow to the Mafia on Tuesday by arresting 17 suspects linked to powerful clans of the Calabria southern region, according to ANSA news agency. They were caught in the northern town of Bologna, a proof of the Mafia's rapid expansion all over the country. Some of the people arrested on Tuesday belonged to the mighty clan of the Pesce-Bellocco, one of three Mafia families who share control of illegal activities at the large container port in Gioia Tauro. The clan is also alleged to have secured lucrative infrastructure projects dogged by mafia probes. The ringleader Carmello Bellocco, 53, was serving out a 17-yearsentence for racketeering. Bellocco is accused of heading up the group's activities while on day-leave from prison. Prosecutor Michele Prestipinio, who led the investigation, described the arrested as "dangerous people with huge amounts of cash and very big plans." Millions of euros in assets, including a number of supermarkets, were seized during the operation. The clan's base is in the town of Rosarno, where racial riots broke out last week between town residents and immigrant day laborers. Local Mafia, called "Ndrangheta," is suspected of involvement in the migrant labor exploitation as well as the in anti-immigrant violence which ensued after the riots. An inquiry has been launched to ascertain eventual Mafia connections. Mafia clans are spreading their drug and arms trafficking activities not only in Italy but on a world-wide scale. Italy has lately been rocked by an upheaval in local criminality, with several failed bombings. Last week top anti-Mafia prosecutor PieroGrasso warned that the country was facing a new "Mafia campaign" and called for intensified investigations and assets seizure.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club compound,Ronald B. Campbell,Andrea G. Reeder,Dylan C. Grose,William C. Casteel.arrested

Four people were arrested on suspected drug charges, including the group's leader.Methamphetamine was found at the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club compound at West 19th Avenue and South Gum Street. Benton County Undersheriff Paul Hart said they needed so many officers as a "precautionary" step because the Gypsy Jokers are known to be connected to drugs and other criminal activities."It is an outlaw motorcycle gang with convicted felons who reside there," Hart said. "We gear up to meet that threat."Some stolen property and a couple of weapons also were seized, he said. The Violent Crimes Task Force, made up of federal agents and local police detectives, raided the club house and two homes at 5 a.m.The Benton County Regional SWAT team and the Yakima SWAT team were used to help search all the buildings."Because of the large site ... it makes it difficult to secure and make sure everybody is safe," Hart said. "The Violent Crimes Task Force ... ...
25 comments
Read more

William (Billy) Bowden pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg courtroom today to carrying a firearm in a careless manner in January 2007

William (Billy) Bowden, 33, pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg courtroom today to carrying a firearm in a careless manner in January 2007 and skipping out on his preliminary hearing about a year later. Other drug and weapons charges related to the 2007 incident were stayed as part of a plea bargain securing the two convictions. Bowden remains in custody though, charged with manslaughter in relation to the November 2007 killing of Jeff Engen, who was fatally stabbed at the Empire Cabaret, prompting the club to close. That charge remains before the courts. Bowden has been in custody since he was arrested Feb. 14 in Whistler, B.C., and returned to Manitoba. The Crown and defence jointly recommended that time be noted in his sentence for carrying the firearm. That crime occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 20, 2007, as Bowden was leaving the NV lounge in a truck with friend Ken Houston, court heard. Police discovered a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with 18 bullets in a pile of garbage close to where the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Oak Park gang member charged in the shooting death of one of his homeboys while they were out on a retaliation attack in rival territory.

Closing arguments began today in the murder trial of a reputed Oak Park gang member charged in the shooting death of one of his homeboys while they were out on a retaliation attack in rival territory.Deputy District Attorney Anthony Ortiz said as many as 30 shots were fired in the June 27, 2005, broad-daylight shooting on Della Circle in the Florin area. One of the shots fired by defendant Denishio Demmitrius Collins, 26, killed David Perkins, 22, one of the eight gang members from the Oak Park Bloods who filled three cars in the assault on a rival Crip set, according to Ortiz."This wasn't an in-the-dark sneak attack," Ortiz said. "These were people who said 'screw it' - this is our war and we're going to bring it to your streets." After the shooting, the Oak Park gang members dumped the dying Perkins out of one of their vehicles and left him to die, Ortiz said."He was left on a sidewalk to die by his homeboys," the prosecutor said. Their m...
Post a Comment
Read more