German prosecutors have brought charges against three alleged associates of the Italian mafia organization 'Ndrangheta.
The mafia members allegedly used an ice cream parlor in the western German city of Siegen to launder money "at the behest of a high-ranking member of the 'Ndrangheta from San Luca in Calabria to support the criminal mafia organization," according to prosecutors.
The mafia boss allegedly invested around €400,000 ($430,000) in the ice cream parlour, according to prosecutors in the western German state of North Rhine Westphalia.
"In return, the ice cream parlour is said to have been used to launder the illegal narcotics profits of the 'Ndrangheta and also as a logistics base in North Rhine Westphalia," prosecutors said.
In addition, some of the income from the day-to-day ice cream business was allegedly transferred to other 'Ndrangheta members in Italy.
Authorities in Italy consider the mafia boss "to be a leading figure in the international cocaine trade," according to prosecutors in Dusseldorf.
The ice cream parlour in Siegen, as well as other properties in North Rhine Westphalia and Italy, were searched in a major raid exactly one year ago.
The raids were the culmination of a nearly three-year-long investigation into the alleged organized crime group.