The Italian police have arrested nine suspects for allegedly manipulating contracts with the Calabrian health authority for the benefit of the mafia.
As the financial police in Reggio di Calabria in the south of the country announced on Monday, the suspects also stole masks and other protective clothing from doctors and nurses.
The suspects even embezzled protective clothing from emergency rooms.
For decades, the Calabria region has been fighting against the infiltration of public authorities, especially the health system, by the mafia organization 'Ndrangheta.
In the past ten years, the indebted health authority has been disbanded twice because of its links to the 'Ndrangheta.
The now arrested suspects, who, according to the police, belong to different clans, are also said to have received lucrative contracts for cleaning hospitals.
In addition, they are said to have issued false invoices and forced some employees to give them part of their monthly salary of around 250 euros each.
The suspects include the financial director of the health authority in Reggio Calabria and a politician. According to the police, they placed another seven suspects under house arrest and confiscated assets worth twelve million euros from five suspects.