Mafia mystery
September 15, 2009
Investigators believe the vessel could be one of more than 30 targeted by the 'Ndrangheta, a mafia group based in the southern region of Calabria.
A prosecutor from the town of Paola said on Tuesday that the find could turn out to be "only the first such wreck," to provide evidence that the 'Ndrangheta were involved in illicit waste disposal in the Mediterranean.
The 110-meter vessel was found Saturday around 500 meters below sea level and some 23 miles (37 kilometers) off the coast of Calabria. Investigators used a remote-controlled submersible to film the wreck.
The Paolo prosecutor said the footage showed that the barrels had been sealed in a way that showed they could contain toxic materials. The images also revealed that at least one barrel had fallen from the damaged hull and lay empty on the seabed.
Investigators were tipped off to the wreck by a former 'Ndrangheta member, Francesco Fonti, who in 2006 spoke of the sinking of a vessel in 1993 with explosives.
The location and size of the ship described by Fonti corresponded to Saturday's find. He had said that the vessel, the Cunsky, was loaded with radioactive waste at the time.
Authorities said they would carry out tests on the barrels to determine whether their contents were radioactive.
dfm/dpa/Reuters
Editor: Susan Houlton