Italy seizes €200 million in assets of late mafia boss

Italian authorities have announced the seizure of more than 200 million euros in assets belonging to the late Cosa Nostra boss Matteo Messina Denaro, a major operation targeting the fortune he amassed from decades of drug trafficking. The assets, described by officials as a "vast fortune," were identified across multiple countries and are being confiscated in Italy, Andorra, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, and Switzerland.

The investigation, conducted by Italy's financial police, the Guardia di Finanza, uncovered that vast sums derived from drug trafficking were reinvested into the legal economy through a complex network of holdings. These included luxury vacation resorts on Spain's Costa del Sol, bank accounts, securities portfolios, and corporate holding companies. Police stated that eight foreign companies were primarily used for real estate investments and asset management. Among the 22 properties linked to Messina Denaro were luxury resorts in exclusive areas near Marbella, Benahavis, and Puerto Banus.

Italy's top anti-mafia prosecutor, Giovanni Melillo, hailed the operation as being of great strategic importance. He stated that it was not...