They organized fake marriages between Italian women and foreign citizens to allow the latter to obtain a residence permit. And whoever turned to them to arrange the wedding had to pay up to 6,500 euros.

However, the criminal organization was discovered and the carabinieri, coordinated by the Naples Anti-Mafia District Directorate, triggered as many as 18 pre-trial detention orders against as many people.

The maxi-scam was discovered in Campania. At least 25 fake marriages organized by the gang , branched out in the municipalities of Naples, Castel Volturno, Mondragone, San Cipriano d'Aversa and Avezzano.

At the head of the group, made up mostly of women, is a 61-year-old resident of Ponticelli, Matilde Macciocchi, already known in the news with the name of "Witch of the promised spouses" and with the alias of Aunt Maria.

According to the investigators, Macciocchi, in addition to organizing the system, dealing with finding and hosting immigrants, falsifying residence documents and family statuses, procured girls with an accomplice for marriages, often destitute and therefore needy.

(Unioneonline / lf)