Italian police on Tuesday said 29 people had been arrested in provinces across Italy, as well as the German state of Baden-Württemberg where a police sergeant was among those detained.

The operation against the 'ndrangheta — widely seen as the most powerful Mafia group that is currently active — exposed a gourmet food fencing and racketeering scam.

The public prosecutor's office and police in the Stuttgart suburb of Waiblingen said the member of the Baden-Württemberg state police had supported the 'ndrangheta.

The arrest warrant against the 46-year-old was issued for breach of confidentiality. 

His arrest came amid sweeping raids on Tuesday morning by German and Italian police officers against organized crime groups, with at least 29 people detained.

A total of 34 arrest warrants — 14 in German and 20 in Italy — and 40 search warrants were executed. 

In addition to Baden-Württemberg, officials said searches took place in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.

According to Chief Public Prosecutor Dittrich, 19 main suspects in Germany are said to have posed — on behalf of the 'ndrangheta — as managers of German food companies to businesses in Hungary and Italy.

They ordered large quantities of high-quality food, including cheese, olive oil, and canned tomatoes. In reality, the German firms that made the orders did not exist.

The goods, valued at several hundred thousand euros, were sent to an alleged warehouse where they were accepted by the accused but never paid for. The accused then pushed the food onto local restaurateurs, who paid for the goods out of fear of retribution.

The organization launched its Interpol Cooperation Against 'ndrangheta program in 2020, with more than 100 suspects since detained worldwide.

While around 20 countries are involved in the project, Germany and Italy play particularly active roles.

The 'ndrangheta is widely viewed as the most dangerous Mafia group in Italy, being highly involved in the drug trade. It is believed to have a dominant position in the European cocaine market.

Some 170 individuals in Baden-Württemberg are believed to have ties to criminal organizations, including Mafia groups such as the 'ndrangheta, Cosa Nostra and Camorra. Many are clustered around Lake Constance and the greater Stuttgart area, police say. 

Edited by Sean Sinico