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| Europe |
| Italy: Hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants arrested |
| 2008-05-16 |
| (AKI) - In a major operation that began early on Thursday, Italian police arrested 383 people, most of them suspected illegal immigrants, and have already deported 118. Most of the 268 foreigners who were arrested were from North Africa and Romania. A total 111 people were arrested for aiding and abetting illegal immigrants or breaching police regulations. Those arrested in the latter group included 92 suspected drug traffickers, as well as pimps, thieves and people suspected of armed robbery. Police seized over 18.5 kg of drugs, including 6.79 kg of cocaine, 11.44 kg of cannabis and 0.36 kg of heroin in the operation. Italy's new conservative interior minister Roberto Maroni praised the head of the country's police force, Antonio Manganelli, for the operation's success. "International cooperation was also important," Maroni stated. The operation signals the new conservative government's intention to keep its election promise to crack down on illegal immigrants. Many Italians hold them responsible for numerous crimes. Two Roma gypsy camps near Naples were attacked and set on fire on Tuesday and Wednesday after a teenage Roma girl allegedly tried to kidnap a child there last Saturday. In Rome, police raided a encampment of Eastern European Roma gypsies. Many of the gypsies are from Romania. Bucharest has warned Italy not to give in to xenophobia. Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has assured the Romanian government that the crackdown is not specifically aimed at Romanians. |
| Posted by:Fred |
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| Posted by: charger 2008-05-16 13:02 |
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| Posted by: Thaimble Scourge of the Pixies4707 2008-05-16 10:22 |
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| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-05-16 08:10 |
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| Posted by: gromky 2008-05-16 01:59 |