Italy launches anti-mafia raids

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BBC News

Italian paramilitary police have launched a major operation against mafia gangs across the country.

Italian media reports say 100 people have been arrested in raids targeting groups from the south-western region of Calabria, known as the 'Ndrangheta.

Arrests are said to have taken place in Calabria, northern Lombardy, as well as around Rome and Naples.

It follows concerns the 'Ndrangheta, a rival to the Sicilian Mafia, were extending operations to the capital. National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Pierluigi Vigna told Rai Radio 1 the operation, which involved helicopters backing up the police, was "a very important one because it shows the synergy between the 'Ndrangheta groups in the Catanzaro area and their infiltration in Rome.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3679694.stm