ROME- On Monday, police in Palermo, Sicily, arrested 11 supporters of Cosa Nostra boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who still remains at large. The arrests were made by the Palermo anti-mafia unit, in cooperation with the the Carabinieri Ros, a branch of the Italian military police fighting organised crime, under the Ermes (Hermes) investigation. Whilst eight have been apprehended for association with mafia organisations, three of the 11 have been arrested for having helped Messina Denaro remain at large.

The arrests were made after investigators discovered the means by which clan members and the mafia boss were communicating with each other: small pieces of paper which gave orders on managing the mafia clan’s businesses. The ‘handling centre’ for these messages was in a country manor home in Mazara del Vallo in the west of Sicily, where Messina Denaro’s most loyal supporters were identified.

Palermo anti-mafia public prosecutor Teresa Principato, who headed the investigation, called Messina Denaro a “parasite” and said, “(he) does not give a thought to his family ties, and instead benefits from the money that his family or clan members can give to him.” Under the success of the investigation however lies a sense of frustration: “despite the fact that the area is watched over continuously, and that numerous investigations have been carried out, we are still unable to find Messina Denaro. This can only mean that he is protected at a very high level,” said Principato.

At the press conference detailing the investigation, Principato also said that it is probable that Messina Denaro even leaves Italy to remain at large, and that “when he feels authorities are on his trail, he cuts contact with even his most loyal supporters who are under investigation.”

In June this year, Messina Denaro completed his 22nd year at large from authorities, who is wanted for the 1993 bombings of Rome, Milan and Florence, which killed ten people and injured over 100.