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In Italy, 70 members of the ‘Ndrangheta, the largest mafia group in the country, were sentenced on Sunday, October 7, as part of the “maxi-trial” which opened in January 2021.
Almost a year after the opening of the biggest trial against the Mafia since the 1980s, the first verdicts were dropped on Sunday, October 7. On the dock, 91 members of the ‘Ndrangheta, including 70 convicted of “attempted murder, money laundering, drug trafficking” or “illegal possession of weapons”. A blow for the Calabrian mafia, and a great victory for the prosecutor Nicola Grattieri: “Today’s verdict is important. (…) I have always said what I thought. I am not afraid of anything or anyone. If I cannot speak the truth, it is only because I don’t don’t have the proof. “
This anti-mafia judge has been fighting for years, risking his life, against the ‘Ndrangheta, and has been under police protection for 30 years. To arrive at this trial, the investigations lasted for years. Some operations even required the mobilization of 3,000 riflemen. The trial is far from over, however, as the main defendants have yet to be tried. Among them, Luigi Mancuso, 67, considered to be the head of the families of the mafia group, and ex-senator Giancarlo Pittelli, 68, suspected of having served as an intermediary. The legal process is expected to last another two years or more.