Police hold 74 in mafia crackdown

Italian police have broken up a major mafia clan, arresting 74 people and seizing businesses, land, race horses and a London-based online betting company.

Police said today local politicians and businessmen in Bari were among those implicated as part of a three-year operation, called Domino, for collaborating with the Parisi clan.

Lt Col Salvatore Russo, the official in charge of the operation, said an additional nine warrants were issued for suspects already jailed on separate charges.

The 48-year-old head of the clan, Savino Parisi, was arrested overnight with his closest associates.

They are accused of attempted murder, drug trafficking, loan-sharking, interfering with the bidding process for public contracts and money laundering.

The confiscated assets total around €217m.