Police found a rat used in a special dish of the Italian mafia
ROME: OCT. 17 – Police have found 235 small mice during a raid on a cannabis farm in southern Italy. The rats are said to have been used to make a popular dish among drug traffickers.
Police raided the huts around the cannabis field and found the rats in a cold condition. A rat trap and refrigerators containing dead rats were also found, police said. Police have also arrested three people.
Wildlife workers say cooked mice are used in feasts organized by powerful mafia gangs for high-profile gangsters.
According to Lipu, an organization working for wildlife conservation in Italy, wildlife smugglers trap rats that are active at night on Mount Aspromonte and sell them to criminal gangs and restaurants.
According to police, a large number of rats were found during the raid after a farm in Rezo Calabria was razed to the ground and extended to other areas.
According to the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, the leaders of the mafia group sit in front of a plate of mice and make important decisions.
Mouse dishes were also popular in ancient Rome. After the skins of the rats were removed, they were cooked with pork and spices. Rats are still eaten in Croatia and Slovenia.
