Police Conduct Raids in Multiple German States and Italy
Hundreds of police officers are currently conducting searches in several German states, with a focus in southwestern Germany. The operation has led to arrests, according to reports. Simultaneous searches are taking place in Baden-Württemberg, the Saarland, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinat, as well as in Italy, the Aalen police department announced. Further information is expected to be released at a press conference in Stuttgart at 2 pm, with a joint press conference scheduled by the Aalen police and the Stuttgart state prosecutor’s office.
The operation is the result of joint investigations with Italian police. In Baden-Württemberg, the focus is on the Stuttgart metropolitan area, the Rems-Murr district and the Ludwigsburg district.
According to the state’s interior ministry, Baden-Württemberg is a hub for organized crime linked to the Italian Mafia, with around 170 individuals believed to be affiliated with organized crime living in the state.
The state criminal police department reports that the organizations ‘Ndrangheta, Cosa Nostra, Camorra and Sacra Corona Unita are active in Baden-Württemberg, with a focus on the Bodensee region and the Stuttgart area.