MILAN (AP) — Law enforcement officials in Italy have confiscated assets valued at more than 200 million euros ($232 million) connected to the drug trafficking operations of deceased crime boss Matteo Messina Denaro, according to anti-mafia prosecutors who announced Thursday that the action represents a significant strike against the Sicilian Mafia’s efforts to reconstruct its economic strength.
Among the confiscated items were over 12 kilograms (26 pounds) of gold bars, substantial amounts of cash, high-end timepieces and approximately 20 upscale properties, law enforcement officials revealed during a press briefing.
Messina Denaro passed away in a correctional facility medical unit roughly nine months following his capture in January 2023, bringing to an end three decades of evading authorities. He had been convicted in absentia for his role in numerous killings, including his participation in orchestrating two 1992 bombings that claimed the lives of prominent anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.
During the probe into drug trafficking proceeds spanning multiple decades, officials detained three individuals and mandated the confiscation of assets, enterprises and financial interests exceeding 200 million euros in value.
Over 150 Italian financial police personnel conducted operations within Italy and internationally, spanning locations such as Andorra, Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Lebanon, Monaco and Spain.
Giovanni Melillo, Italy’s national anti-mafia prosecutor, stated the confiscations represent part of a comprehensive campaign to destroy the Sicilian Mafia’s financial foundation and stop it from reconstructing criminal operations with worldwide economic and social reach, including the use of threats and intimidation.
