Italian authorities have seized assets worth over €200 million (£175 million) linked to the late mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who died in custody in 2023 after decades on the run. The operation, led by the Guardia di Finanza, targeted proceeds from drug trafficking reinvested across Europe and beyond, including luxury properties, bank accounts, and corporate holdings in countries like Spain, Switzerland, and the Cayman Islands.
Three individuals were arrested in connection with the probe, which also identified eight firms tied to illicit funds. The seized assets include luxury villas, vacation resorts on Spain’s Costa del Sol, and securities portfolios. Investigators used planes, drones, and thermal scanners to uncover hidden assets, including concealed spaces and hidden cavities.
Giovanni Melillo, head of Italy’s National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor’s Office, called the operation "strategically significant," stating it would hinder the Cosa Nostra’s efforts to rebuild after Messina Denaro’s death. The investigation followed the money trail across multiple countries, including Andorra, Gibraltar, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Switzerland.
Messina Denaro, the head of Sicily’s Castelvetrano clan, had been sentenced to six life terms for crimes including the 1992 assassinations of two anti-mafia prosecutors and the kidnapping and murder of a 12-year-old boy whose body was dissolved in acid. His arrest in 2023 ended a 30-year manhunt before his death from cancer in custody.