Italian police issued more than 100 arrest warrants in a crackdown against suspected Mafiosi in Naples yesterday, detaining dozens, including three men suspected of one of the region's bloodiest shootings.

Police said several suspected high-ranking members of the Casalesi clan were held in the pre-dawn raids, including Giuseppina Nappa, the wife of Francesco Schiavone - who investigators believe is running the group from jail.

Authorities took control of buildings and seized business activities worth €100 million.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni described the operation against the Casalesi as memorable. The Casalesi is regarded as a main player in the Camorra - Naples' version of the Sicilian Mafia.

"We have dealt a very big blow to the Casalesi clan," he told a news conference in Rome.

Of the arrest warrants issued, 76 were served on suspects already being held in jail on other charges. At least five are still at large.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.