A Catholic nun, Sister Anna Donelli, aged 57, has been arrested in Italy for her alleged involvement with one of the country’s most notorious mafia families, the ‘Ndrangheta.
The arrest was part of a large-scale police operation targeting the criminal organisation in Lombardy, which led to the arrest of over 20 individuals.
Authorities are investigating a wide range of criminal activities linked to the ‘Ndrangheta, including extortion, arms and drug trafficking, money laundering, usury, and tax crimes. There are also concerns regarding the mafia’s connections to Italian politics.
Sister Donelli, who has worked as a volunteer in prisons in Milan and Brescia for several years, is accused of acting as an intermediary between members of the mafia and prisoners, facilitating communication between those incarcerated and those still operating on the outside. Investigators believe she was responsible for conveying messages between the criminal group and its associates in prison.
As part of the operation, law enforcement agencies, including the State Police and the Guardia di Finanza, have seized more than £1.49 million and conducted multiple raids in various provinces, including Brescia, Milan, Varese, Como, and Verona. These actions are part of a broader crackdown on the ‘Ndrangheta’s activities.
Sister Donelli has previously shared her views on her prison work, notably on a popular Italian blog. She wrote about the challenges of caring for prisoners and questioned whether showing compassion for those incarcerated could be seen as a betrayal of their victims’ families.
She has worked in various parts of Italy, including Pavia, Rome, and Milan, and described her experiences in prison as transformative. They helped her focus on the humanity of the people she encountered, regardless of whether they were criminals or victims.
Her arrest comes in the wake of heightened concerns over mafia violence following the discovery of the body of Antonio Strangio, the 42-year-old son of a well-known crime boss, in a burnt-out car in San Luca, Calabria.
Strangio had been missing for a week before his remains were found. The region of Calabria is known as the ‘spiritual home’ of the ‘Ndrangheta, which controls much of the global drug trade.
The ‘Ndrangheta, based in Calabria, has expanded its influence to more than 40 countries and remains one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the world, involved in a wide range of illicit activities, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and the manipulation of public contracts.
