Among the 24 people arrested in the north of Italy in connection with the investigation against the mafia is a nun, the Italian police announced.
The nun, referred to in the Italian press as Sister Anna Donelli, was arrested for allegedly acting as an intermediary between the 'Ndrangheta mafia and its jailed gang members.
Police also arrested two politicians and seized assets worth more than 1,8 million euros in raids in several cities in the Lombardy and Veneto regions, as well as Calabria in the south.
The arrests are the result of a four-year investigation into the 'Ndrangheta, one of the most influential and dangerous criminal organizations in Europe.
- How mafia families from Italy spread to the world
- A man on the hit list of the most powerful Italian mafia
- The secret life of mafia hunters in Italy
A statement from security agencies detailed claims that the nun had "free access to prison facilities" and that she was initially not suspected of having ties to the mafia.
The police statements did not identify politicians or any other targets of the investigation.
The operation continues, and hundreds of police officers are conducting searches across northern Italy.
They are assisted by units of sniffer dogs that look for weapons, drugs and money, the police said.
Investigators state that the group primarily used the scrap metal trade as a cover for money laundering, in the total amount of about 12 million euros of laundered money, prosecutors said.
Originating in the impoverished region of Calabria, the 'Ndrangheta is considered one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world.
In November last year, more than 200 people were sentenced to a total of more than 2.200 years in prison in one of Italy's biggest mafia trials in decades.
- Trial of the century in Italy: 2.200 years in prison for 200 people linked to the mafia
- Who is "Signor Untouchable" - the leader of the battle against the Ndrangeta mafia clan
- Mafia boss arrested in Spain after two years on the run
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube i Viber. If you have a topic suggestion for us, please contact bbcnasrpskom@bbc.co.uk
Bonus video:
