Italians Bust Global Drug Ring

Police cracked a drug smuggling ring spanning four continents, arrested more than 150 people and seized more than five tons of cocaine, Italian authorities said Wednesday.

The alleged ringleaders were members of the 'ndrangheta, one of Italy's major organized crime groups based in the southern Calabria region, police said. The smuggling ring, which did tens of millions of dollars in business, also was based there.

The cocaine was smuggled from Colombia and Venezuela to Europe and Australia. The smuggling financed terrorism and guerrilla groups in Colombia, said national anti-Mafia prosecutor Pier Luigi Vigna.

Carabinieri paramilitary police in Rome said a total of 156 people were arrested in Italy, Colombia, Australia, France, the Netherlands and Spain.

Carabinieri Gen. Giampaolo Ganzer told Italian state TV that about 11,000 pounds of cocaine were seized in Italy, Spain and Colombia.