Mafia Clan Raid, Major Anti-Crime Sweep Hits Italy

ROME (CBS/AP) Italian police on Tuesday carried out one of the biggest operations ever against the powerful 'ndrangheta crime organization, arresting 300 people including top bosses, and seizing million of dollars in property.

The man believed to be the 'ndrangheta's No. 1 boss, Domenico Oppedisano, was picked up earlier in the day in Rosarno, a small coastal town in Calabria, the southern region where the organization is based, police said.

Also arrested was the man believed to be in charge of the gang's businesses in Milan, where the 'ndrangheta has been making major inroads.

The pre-dawn raids Tuesday involved some 3,000 police across the country.

Charges include murder, extortion, arms and drug trafficking and criminal association.

Investigators described the operation as one of the biggest blows ever to an organization that today is considered more powerful than the Sicilian Mafia.