Italian police have seized villas, vehicles, and cash in a major operation targeting the criminal network of late Sicilian mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, authorities announced.

The seizure operation focused on dismantling the financial infrastructure left behind by Messina Denaro, who was considered one of Italy's most wanted fugitives before his capture and subsequent death. The confiscated assets included luxury properties, automobiles, and liquid funds accumulated through the organization's illegal activities.

Matteo Messina Denaro had been a key figure in the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and was on the run for decades before Italian authorities apprehended him. He died while in custody, but his criminal network continued to operate using accumulated wealth and established criminal enterprises.

The operation represents part of ongoing Italian law enforcement efforts to dismantle mafia financial networks and recover assets obtained through organized crime activities. Italian anti-mafia prosecutors have long pursued strategies of targeting the economic foundations of criminal organizations as a means of weakening their operational capabilities.

Authorities did not immediately disclose the total value of the seized assets or provide details about specific properties confiscated in the operation. The investigation into Messina Denaro's network remains ongoing as police work to identify additional assets and associates connected to the criminal organization.