12 arrested in anti-Camorra mafia sweep

Probe sheds light on turf war between rival Ponticelli clans

(ANSA) - Naples, May 27 - Police on Tuesday arrested 12 people in an anti-mafia sweep against the Campania region's Camorra crime syndicate. The suspects, who are said to belong to the De Micco clan operating in the Ponticelli district of Naples, were arrested on charges of mafia association for drug trafficking, attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms. In total, 14 people have been placed under investigation in connection with the probe. Two suspects are currently on the run. Investigations showed how some alleged De Micco clan members wore a tattoo reading 'Bodo' - the clan's nickname - followed by the words "respect, fidelity and honour". Police also uncovered an accounts book recording profits from criminal activities and monthly payments to be made to affiliates, as well as legal and weapons expenses. The investigation also shed light on the ongoing turf war between the De Micco clan and the rival D'Amico group, which led to the murders of respective clan members in January and March 2013. The Calabrian 'Ndrangheta and the Neapolitan Camorra have posed the most powerful threats to the legal economy in recent years, outstripping Sicily's Cosa Nosta.