Italy: Police arrest 13 in crackdown on organised crime

Italian police today said they have arrested 13 people, including a judge accused of ties with the Mafia, as part of a crackdown on organised crime in southern Italy.

The arrests were carried out in pre-dawn raids in Cosenza, Reggio Calabria, Vibo Valentia and in other cities of Calabria region in southern Italy.

The judge, who worked in the courthouse of Vibo Valentia, is accused of corruption and ties with a Mafia family active in the area, said Rodolfo Ruperti, chief of the town’s police.

Other suspects include lawyers, businessmen, architects, as well as alleged mobsters, Ruperti said.

Four people, including the judge, were put behind bars, while the other suspects were placed under house arrest, he said.

The arrests were the result of a three-year investigation.