There were 181 arrests made during the night and early morning hours, by the Palermo District Anti-Mafia Directorate. The maxi-operation led to the arrests and handcuffs of bosses, "colonels", men of honor and extortionists of various "mandamenti" of the Sicilian capital and the province.
The investigation, conducted by the Carabinieri and coordinated by the prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia and the deputy prosecutor Marzia Sabella, revealed the organizational chart of the main families, the clans' affairs and the umpteenth attempt by Cosa Nostra to reconstitute the provincial Cupola and to react to the harsh repression that in recent years has led to thousands of other arrests.
The main districts involved in the investigation are those of Santa Maria di Gesù, Porta Nuova, San Lorenzo, Bagheria, Terrasini, Pagliarelli and Carini. In addition to the 181 arrests, two orders of presentation to the judicial police were notified .
A total of 1,200 Carabinieri from the provincial commands of Sicily, from the Anti-Crime Department of the ROS of Palermo, are involved in the operation - with the air cover of a helicopter from the 9th Helicopter Unit of Palermo - with the support of the "red berets" of the Helicopter Squadron Cacciatori of Sicily, of the 12th "Sicilia" Regiment, of the 14th "Calabria" Battalion and other specialized components of the force.
Those arrested are accused, to varying degrees , of mafia-type criminal association, attempted murder, extortion, committed or attempted, aggravated by mafia methods, association aimed at illicit drug trafficking, personal aiding and abetting, crimes involving weapons, against property, against the person, and illegal gambling.
(Online Union)