The investigation was carried out by the Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor's Office of Reggio Calabria in cooperation with the Antinarcotics Department (DCSA) and the Italian Customs Agency. Arrests were made throughout Italy, and European Arrest Warrants have been issued for five traffickers in Spain and the Netherlands. Italian police are currently seeking the arrests of three more traffickers in Colombia, the Unites States, and Venezuela.
The 'Ndrangheta, based in Calabria in Italy’s toe, is one of the four major crime groups in Italy. The Associated Press (AP) reports that the 'Ndrangheta organized crime group has been importing drugs into Europe in collaboration with Colombian drug cartels and the Mexican’s Gulf Cartel. Italian customs agents seized hundreds of kilograms of cocaine allegedly intended for sale by the 'Ndrangheta family.
AP also reports that 'Ndrangheta is the biggest importer of cocaine into Europe, and is considered more powerful than the infamous Sicily’s Cosa Nostra. 'Ndrangheta’s operations have spread throughout Europe and the world. Some of the crime group’s members are reported to be living in Columbia and using it as a base for drug trade and money laundering.
In the past month Italian police have arrested other 'Ndrangheta members, including 12 on suspicion of drug trafficking and a high ranking member for the murder of 6 people in Germany.
