Tens of millions of euros in public funds destined for migrant reception centres in Italy have ​allegedly ​been syphoned off in one of the biggest mafia scams of recent times​​​, it has been claimed​.

More than 68 people were arrested in the dawn raids carried out by Italian authorities on Monday – including the parish priest and the head of the Catholic association managing one of Europe’s largest migrant and asylum seeker reception centres in the Calabrian town of Isola di Capo Rizzuto.

“The welcome centre was the cash machine for the ‘Ndrangheta clan,” said Carabinieri General Giuseppe Governale.

The sting, dubbed "Operation Jonny,"​ ​​​is said to have​​ involved more than 500 law enforcement agents, many of whom ​​are believ​ed​ to have ​​worked long periods undercover to secretly record and expose the alleged infiltration of the Arena family, one of the ferocious 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate clans, into the lucrative area of migrant management.

The Isola di Capo Rizzuto migrant and asylum seeker reception centre on the Calabrian coast near Crotone is one of the largest such reception points in Europe, capable of hosting up to 1,600 people.