Germany arrests 11 in investigation of suspected cocaine trading by Italian crime group

Germany arrests 11 in cocaine investigation

BERLIN — Bavarian police say they have arrested 11 people in an investigation of suspected cocaine trading by members of Italy’s ‘ndrangheta organized crime group.

Police in Ingolstadt say the arrests were made Monday morning. Officers searched about 75 locations — among them apartments, offices and pizzerias.

Investigators believe the group regularly sent couriers from Italy to Germany with several kilograms of cocaine which were delivered to customers in the Munich area.

Bavarian police say they are investigating 18 people, most of them Italian, while police in Brescia, Italy, are conducting a parallel probe against the main suspects.

The ‘ndrangheta is today considered more powerful worldwide than the Sicilian Mafia.