Italian police on Thursday arrested a nun known to work in prison and 24 others as part of an investigation into the 'Ndrangheta mafia in the northern city of Brescia, three people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Sister Anna Donelli, a volunteer at Milan's San Vittore prison, is suspected of colluding with the mafia and acting as an intermediary between criminal groups and imprisoned gang members.
The 57-year-old nun is also well known for her work in dilapidated areas of Milan.
In February, she was one of the winners of Milan's annual civic award “Golden Panettone”.
The nun's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.
Two local politicians were also arrested and $1.89 million was seized in the operation, according to a police press release.
The statement did not name the person targeted in the attack.
The suspects are accused of various crimes including mafia association, vote buying, illegal possession of weapons, money laundering, loan sharking, drug trafficking and false claims, police said.
The suspected gangster was involved in issuing €12 million worth of invoices for non-existent transactions that allowed co-conspirators to reduce their income and evade taxes in exchange for fees paid to the gang.
Hailing from the impoverished southern region of Calabria, the 'Ndrangheta developed into Italy's most powerful mafia organization, spreading across Europe and the rest of the world and infiltrating so-called white-collar crime.
