Italian Police seize ‘mafia assets’ worth $1.9 bn
September 15th, 2010 - 2:53 pm ICT by IANSPalermo (Italy), Sep 15 (IANS/AKI) Italian Police have seized assets worth 1.5 billion euros (about $1.9 billion) from a Sicilian businessman who is suspected of having ties with the mafia.
It was the country’s biggest property seizure in the war it has declared against organised crime networks like the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the Camorra from Naples.
“It was (Italy’s) biggest seizure of assets,” Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said Tuesday in a TV interview on “Mattino Cinque”, a breakfast show on media-tycoon Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s Canale 5.
Anti-mafia authorities have opened probes into alleged mafia money laundering operations in Italy’s renewable energy.
Anti-mafia police from Trapani Tuesday seized the property belonging to Vito Nicastri, a businessman based in the Sicilian province of Trapani. Nicastri had been arrested for alleged fraud in the solar and wind energy sector.
Investigators say he has ties to mafia fugitive Matteo Messina Denaro.
Maroni on Aug 15 said Italy had seized suspected mafia assets worth 15 billion euros in a span of about one year.
–IANS/AKI
snb/dg
- Police move to crush mafia in Italy - Jul 13, 2010
- 16 Italian judges held in anti-mafia operation - Mar 20, 2012
- Fugitive Italian mafia leader arrested - May 04, 2012
- Manchester City's Balotelli saw a table of cocaine - Nov 09, 2011
- Italian mafia on its knees, says minister - Dec 10, 2009
- Italian president warns of wave of violence - May 24, 2012
- Top Italian mafia fugitive managed affairs online: Police - Jun 26, 2010
- Police 'reconstruct' DNA of mafia leader in Italy - Jul 02, 2010
- Facebook users urge mafia boss to be informant - Dec 09, 2009
- Mafia assets worth 47 mn euro seized in Italy - May 20, 2011
- New book in Italy puts mafia on the map - Dec 06, 2009
- Italian magistrate arrested in mafia crackdown - Nov 30, 2011
- 'Dangerous' mobster held in Italy - Apr 24, 2012
- Gaddafi's $25 mn Italian hotel complex seized - May 17, 2012
- Italy arrests top mafia boss - Nov 18, 2010
Tags: alleged mafia, breakfast show, camorra, canale 5, cosa nostra, energy sector, interior minister, italian police, messina denaro, money laundering operations, palermo italy, police seize, prime minister silvio, prime minister silvio berlusconi, property seizure, roberto maroni, silvio berlusconi, snb, tv interview, wind energy