Police arrest Catholic nun, 24 others in mafia-linked crimes
Italian police arrest 25 people, including a Catholic nun, Sister Anna Donelli, 57, in a major crackdown on mafia-related crimes.
The arrests, which take place on Thursday in Lombardy, northern Italy, follow a lengthy investigation into alleged links to the ‘Ndrangheta organized crime syndicate.
Sister Donelli, a member of the Sisters of Charity Institute in Milan, is accused of acting as a key intermediary for the notorious mafia group.
Prosecutors reveal that she uses her role as a spiritual adviser and prison volunteer to relay messages and orders between imprisoned mafia bosses and their operatives outside.
“She carried orders, directives, moral and material aid to associates, receiving in turn useful information to better plan criminal strategies,” says prosecutor Francesco Prete during a press briefing.
The operation, involving 300 anti-mafia officers and specially trained dogs, uncovers €1.8 million in cash, drugs, and other incriminating evidence. Sister Donelli is placed under house arrest while further investigations continue.
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Among those arrested is a physician aligned with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party. The doctor is accused of secretly treating injuries sustained during mafia activities, bypassing Italy’s public health system to avoid raising suspicion.
Known as “Sister Collina” among prison inmates, Sister Donelli has previously worked as a liaison between prisoners and officials, as well as a soccer referee during inmate recreational periods.
Prosecutors allege she exploits her position to maintain the mafia’s communication networks, describing her role as pivotal to the syndicate’s operations.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Sisters of Charity Institute in Milan remain unanswered. Meanwhile, authorities continue to scrutinize the extent of the mafia’s infiltration and the nun’s involvement in their illicit activities.
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