The suspects were allegedly attempting to take control of Rome's cocaine market and, according to police, were cooperating with Moroccan and Colombian cartels. More than 450 police officers and soldiers from the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian financial police, made the arrests and searched multiple locations using dogs and helicopters on Jan. 20.
In addition to drugs and weapons, authorities recovered theso-called “San Luca Code'' - an encrypted notebook describing 'Ndrangheta rituals.
The 'Ndrangheta clan is concentrated in the south of Italy, and is considered one of the primary actors in Europe's cocaine market. It competes with the Sicilian-based Cosa Nostra for overseas contacts, establishing and maintaining links with the New York Gambino family and the Mexican Los Zetas cartel.
According to Transcrime, the 'Ndrangheta is the second largest crime group after the Naples-based Comorra and is also involved inextortion, intimidation and murders.
