Finance police on Monday staged a big operation targeting Milan-night-life businesses allegedly linked to the Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta mafia. The police arrested and jailed 14 suspects and impounded four companies running eateries within the Milan municipal market in the city's Isola district.
The suspects face charges that include mafia association, extortion, robbery, fraudulent transfer of assets and illegal waste trafficking. The operation took place in an area popular for its night life area in the Milan city centre. The arrests were part of a crackdown on the Piromalli mafia group based in Gioia Tauro, in the south of the city. The group is linked to a number of criminal syndicates in Italy, including the Cosa Nostra and the Cattolica crime family. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made so far, police said. The Milan City Council has called for an end to the crackdown on night life businesses in the Isola area.