Police yesterday arrested dozens of people and seized 700 kilos of cocaine and €65 million worth of property in an operation against the Camorra Mafia in southern Italy, officials said.

At least 69 people were arrested in the joint operation by financial and military police, they said.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni praised the operation, saying it "hurts the Camorra, but also demonstrates the pervasiveness of organised crime in the business world."

The probe uncovered money laundering operations and threw suspicion on two employees of a court in the impoverished region as well as a well-known psychiatrist, the Ansa news agency reported.

In the sting, police also uncovered 27 kilos of hashish and 62 kilos of marijuana, police said.

In another operation, Neapolitan police seized €900,000 euros in goods belonging to Franco Mazzarella, 48, and Antonio Muscerino, 39, Ansa said.

Mr Mazzarella, son of a Camorra clan leader, arrested in 2006, is in jail for mafia association, smuggling, drug trafficking and extortion.

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