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A total of 94 people have been arrested in early morning actions, the public prosecutor in Mesina said. Among those arrested are bosses of two mafia families, a notary, entrepreneurs and public administrators tasked with helping farmers access these funds.
As of 2013, the so-called Tortorici mafia, named after a small town in the mountainous area of Nebrod northeast of the island, had embezzled some 10m euros from EU funding. The clan falsely claimed to own plots of land that in reality were owned by the region and local councils, channeling thus the EU funds into their pockets.
In this fraud have played a role also the employees of a public agricultural payment agency distributing EU funds to farmers and those working for assistance centers set up to assist farmers in using those funds. 48 of those arrested have been taken to prison, others are under house arrest, police said.