Leakage from waste dumped by Camorra crime syndicate for decades has contaminated some water supplies

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Thousands of families have marched in Naples to demand a quick cleanup of toxic waste that has been dumped by the local Camorra crime syndicate for decades.

Recent tests have found that waste leakage has contaminated some water supplies, including in farm areas outside Naples and Caserta.

A former Camorra member has said the mobsters essentially poisoned their own neighbourhoods by illegally dumping and burying toxic waste. Dumping proved to be a lucrative business for the Camorra, which also runs drug trafficking operations and extortion rackets.

At Saturday's rally, parents held posters with photos of children who died of cancer that they blame on the poisoned soil.