Authorities seize mafia's houses in italy

Italian authorities have seized houses in Italy from suspected mafia clans as part of the country's fight against organised crime.

€4 billion worth of real estate were confiscated by the government last year, including restaurants, hotels and buildings.

The interior ministry said that over 2,000 suspected members of the mafia were held for questioned in 2011, reports The Guardian Nigeria . But that number is dwarfed by the level of real estate held by the authorities, with 12,139 properties seized in total and "an unspecified number of luxury cars and yachts".

The high profile acquisition of estate follows news that Italy's government is looking to empty its books of unused historic buildings. Castles, palazzos and even a fortress have joined the string of heritage properties being sold off by the country to investors, as the fight against Italy's growing deficit overtakes even its long-standing struggle against the mafia.