An opponent not to be underestimated: the brave grandmother who helped expose the ‘Ndrangheta | Abroad

According to police, eighteen people were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking in the Calabrian town of Cetraro as part of the “Muto” clan. The clan is one of many clans within the infamous ‘Ndrangheta, an organized crime syndicate considered to be one of the most powerful in the world whose main activity is drug trafficking.

“The grandmother went to the Carabinieri (Italian police) to ask them to save her grandson who was devoured by the world of drugs,” Piero Sutera, commander of the local Carabinieri police, told a news conference.

Large amounts of cocaine transported by the clan were obtained through a broker who operated on the other side of Calabria, investigators said.

The group was also involved in blackmailing entrepreneurs in the tourism industry, one of whom had enlisted the help of the police.

“People have suffered and seen the arrogance of these criminals who insisted on extorting money,” said Nicola Gratteri, Mafia prosecutor, as quoted by the daily Gazzetta del Sud.

Links to ‘Ndrangheta were also found in our country. Thirteen people were arrested in Belgium, including Lucio Aquino, who was already known to the authorities in the past because of his involvement in drug files.