Italian investigators conduct raids in major anti-Mafia op

Rome, April 12 : Italian investigators have conducted raids in relation to 45 Mafia suspects as part of a major investigation into the countrys petroleum sector, authorities said on Monday.

The individuals are suspected of tax fraud and other crimes after infiltrating the lucrative petroleum products market, dpa news agency reported citing the authorities in the coastal city of Salerno as saying.

The police struck early in the morning in several cities in southern Italy, as well as Brescia in the northern region of Lombardy.The investigation also pertains to about 70 other suspects who are still at large, the financial police and the Carabinieri said in a statement.

The news comes just a few days after another large-scale anti-Mafia operation in Italy.Those raids related to suspected members of the Camorra and the Ndrangheta organised crime groups.