Italian Police arrest 73 members of Nigerian mafia group

Italian Police have arrested about 73 members of a notorious Nigerian mafia group called Arobaga Vikings or Norsemen Kclub International.

According to Italian newspaper, ANSA, the group leader, 50-year-old Emmanuel Okenwa aka ‘Boogye’, was also arrested in the operation carried out by more than 200 Italian policemen in Turin and Ferrara.

It is organised into local cells called Decks and present in many Italian cities.

National leaders of the mafia, which deals mainly in prostitution and drug trafficking were arrested.

They included Boogye’, an AfroBeat DJ and the self-styled “King of Ferrara”.

In all, 31 people were arrested in Ferrara. A further 43 were taken into custody in Turin including several women, who allegedly ran prostitution rackets.

Bologna preliminary investigations judge, Gianluca Petragnani Gelosi said the Vikings’ criminal plan was to “violently annihilate” other Nigerian crime outfits and take over their turf.

Interior Minister, Luciana Lamorgese said the police guard against criminal organisations and their illegal trafficking was high even amid the COVID emergency.