Italian police launched a large-scale operation targeting Mafia clans in and around Palermo, deploying over 1,200 officers in a bid to dismantle the region’s criminal networks. The Carabinieri military police described the raids as an effort to prevent the Mafia from rebuilding its governing body, known as the Cupola.
The operation—one of the most significant in recent years—comes amid concerns that recently released Mafia bosses are attempting to regain control. While some have been freed on appeal, authorities say those still behind bars have used encrypted mobile phones to continue orchestrating their activities.
Investigators revealed that Sicily’s Cosa Nostra has modernized its methods, eliminating the need for in-person meetings. “One local leader managed to stay in hiding while maintaining control over organized crime in his district,” police explained.
For over a century, the Sicilian Mafia held a stranglehold over local communities, extorting businesses and profiting from drug trafficking. The 1990s saw a crackdown, with anti-Mafia prosecutors assassinated for their efforts and high-profile arrests, including that of notorious boss Salvatore “Toto” Riina in 1993. More recently, Matteo Messina Denaro, one of the last fugitive Mafia kingpins, was captured in 2023 while visiting a clinic in Palermo.
Despite these setbacks, the Carabinieri reported that mobsters inside prison have smuggled in miniature mobile phones to continue their operations. Police uncovered the existence of encrypted communications through surveillance devices planted in suspects’ homes and cars. However, authorities admitted that, while they have identified some users—including those using aliases like “Robert De Niro” and “Spider Man”—the encrypted messages remain largely unreadable.
The raids, which began before dawn on Tuesday, targeted Mafia factions across Palermo, from Tommaso Natale in the north to Porta Nuova in the city center. The sweeping investigation covers charges including Mafia association, drug trafficking, attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms.
Among those arrested were several recently freed bosses, including Tommaso Lo Presti, who had served a 12-year prison sentence before his release in 2023. His arrest follows public outcry last year when it was revealed that he had celebrated his silver wedding anniversary at a Palermo church where anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone is buried.
Authorities say the arrests mark a significant step in their ongoing fight to prevent the resurgence of organized crime in Sicily.
