Padova, 6 October (AKI) - Anti-mafia police have moved to arrest several people in Italy's picturesque northern Lake Garda area who are suspected of involvement in an extortion and usury racket. Two men were arrested while a third person was on Tuesday sought by police, who seized property worth over 3 million euros during the operation.

Besides extortion and usury, the suspects face charges that include physical intimidation and money laundering.

The arrests were ordered by prosecutors in the northern city of Verona following a 15-month investigation by anti-mafia police of alleged activities by the Naples mafia or Camorra's Licciardi crime family in the northeastern Veneto region.

One of the two suspects arrested was named as Ciro Cardo, the brother-in-law of jailed Licciardi boss Pietro Licciardi and the crime family's late 'treasurer', Vincenzo Pernice.

Operation 'Benaco' smashed an extortion and usury racket that targeted businesses around Lake Garda and also in Verona, anti-mafia investigators said.

The 3 million euros of property seized by police in the operation had allegedly been purchased to launder money.

The Italian government has vowed to defeat the mafia and police have made hundreds of arrests this year, including several mafia bosses and have seized tens of millions of euros in suspected mafia assets.

But it has been criticised for failing to tackle alleged links between the mafia and local politicians and government officials as well as businesses.