Italy: Drug trafficking suspect linked to Calabrian mafia sought 'revenge' on judges

Brescia, 28 Sept. (AKI) - Police in the northern Italian city of Brescia Wednesday arrested 12 members of an alleged Calabrian mafia linked cocaine trafficking gang that wanted 'revenge " on local judges.

More than 50 police officers took part in Wednesday's operation that smashed the gang allegedly trafficking "huge" quantities of cocaine to Italy from Colombia, via Spain, police said.

Those arrested were "major" drugs players linked to the Calabrian mafia or 'Ndrangheta's Gioia Tauro clan, one of whom in particular was angry with Brescia magistrates for ordering the seizure of real estate and other assets, according to investigators.

It was unclear what revenge was being planned, but security for Brescia judges has been stepped up.

The 'Ndrangheta is considered Italy's most powerful and dangerous mafia and controls the European cocaine trade.

The organisation launders billions of euros of illegal profits in Italian restaurants, hotels, resorts and other seemingly legitimate businesses, according to Italian authorities.

Italy's national anti-mafia directorate said in a March report that the 'Ndrangheta was continuing to expand and had 'colonised' the wealthy north of Italy owing to its 'unlimited financial resources'.