Italian law enforcement cracks down on 180 mafia members in Palermo

The Italian Carabinieri launched a major operation Tuesday against the Sicilian Mafia in Palermo.

The police arrested 183 suspected mafia members, including several bosses, as part of a major crackdown on Sicily's Cosa Nostra.

Those arrested are accused of crimes including mafia-type criminal association, attempted murder, extortion, drug trafficking, illegal gambling and gun offences. More than 1,200 officers from the island mobilize at dawn as part of the operation, which also extended to other Italian cities, a statement said.