Late mafia boss's 200 million drug money found in tax havens across globe

 ROME – Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro’s 200 million Euros, hidden in tax havens across the world, have been seized by the Palermo Anti-Mafia Directorate and three people have been arrested in connection for the use of these funds, the Italian Anti-Mafia Directorate (Dda) announced on Thursday.

 The Dda, the Palermo’s Prosecutors’ Office and the Financial Police worked together to coordinate an international operation to seize the funds stored across the world by the late mafia boss Messina Denaro, who was considered to be one of the new leaders of the Cosa Nostra.

 Messina Denaro amassed the money from international drug trafficking, which then was reinvested in offshore companies. Authorities revealed that investigations took place in Italy, Andorra, Gibraltar, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland, Lebanon, the Cayman Islands and Spain.

 Messina Denaro died in 2023 after three decades in hiding. He was detained after being discovered at a private clinic in Palermo where he was receiving treatment for colon cancer.  

 Three individuals have been arrested for the use of illicit funds aggravated by mafia facilitation, in connection with the investigation.

 khg