Italian police arrested a nun known for her prison work and 24 other people on Thursday as part of an investigation into the ‘Ndrangheta mafia in the northern city of Brescia, three sources with direct knowledge of the case told Reuters.
They said Sister Anna Donelli, a volunteer at Milan’s San Vittore prison, is suspected of mafia conspiracy and is acting as an intermediary for the criminal group and its captured gang members.
The nun, 57, is also known for her services in Milan’s run-down neighborhoods.
In February she was one of the recipients of the ‘Golden Panettone’, an annual Milanese citizen award.
It was not immediately possible to reach the nun’s lawyer for comment.
A police press release said two local politicians had also been arrested and $1.89 million had been seized in the operation.
The statement did not name the people targeted in the raid.
Suspects are accused of several crimes, including mafia membership, vote buying, illegal possession of weapons, money laundering, lending, drug dealing and counterfeit invoices, the police statement said.
The alleged gang was involved in issuing invoices worth 12 million euros for non-existent transactions that allowed complicit entrepreneurs to reduce their income and avoid taxes in exchange for a commission paid to gangsters.
Originally from the poor southern region of Calabria, the ‘Ndrangheta has developed into Italy’s most powerful mafia organization and has spread across Europe and the rest of the world, penetrating so-called white-collar crime.
