More than 200 mobsters jailed in Italian mafia trial

An Italian court convicted and sentenced 207 people linked to the ’Ndrangheta crime group on Monday, marking the country’s largest mafia trial in 30 years. The three-judge panel acquitted 131 other defendants in the case. The Italian Anti-Mafia Directorate considers ’Ndrangheta to be among the world’s largest and most lucrative drug trafficking groups. The mobsters were convicted on charges of mafia association, extortion, drug and arms trafficking, and bribery, along with five murders. The convicts received a combined sentence of at least 2,100 years, including five life sentences and three 30-year sentences.

Who was convicted? Several convicted defendants were former public servants, including lawmaker Giancarlo Pittelli and former police chief Giorgio Naselli. Ex-mayor Gianluca Callipo was also convicted, along with former financial police officer Michele Marinaro and former regional councilors Luigi Incarnato and Pietro Giamborino. A record 42 women were tried for mob association, resulting in 39 convictions.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson’s report in WORLD Magazine on a California law facilitating human trafficking.