AFP 2012-08-10 14:25:46
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY ELLA IDE "Mafia cashes in as hard-up Italians flog their gold " A metal worker holds a bowl during the melting of silver for the realization of a gold bar, at Italpreziosi gold refinery company, in Arezzo, on May11, 2012 .Italy's traditional goldsmiths are up in arms over a boom in the poorly regulated cash-for-gold sector that they say is making billions for the mafia as hard-up Italians rush to sell off their bling. Italy historically has some of the highest rates of gold jewellery ownership in the world because of cultural traditions like gifts of gold chains but also because ownership of gold bullion was illegal until a decade ago.AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO
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