Italian authorities say they have smashed a Mafia-run plastic recycling ring that sent toxic material from the southern island of Sicily to China.
The scam was uncovered during a four-year investigation, after shoes made in China with the contaminated plastic were found on sale in Italy.
Police say 15 people were held on a range of offences, including extortion and waste trafficking.
The arrests were made in and around the Sicilian city of Ragusa.
Among them was alleged ringleader Claudio Carbonaro.
He had been a police witness at one stage, but in 2013 returned to Sicily and took over a feared Mafia syndicate.
Via BBC
