'Ill-fated' Costa Concordia was carrying 'Mafia-owned' cocaine when it drowned

Italian investigators have said that Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia, which sank in January 2012, had 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate's drugs hidden on it, a report said.

According to the investigators, the phone and tape recordings of 'Ndrangheta gang members had revealed that the cruise was carrying a huge shipment of Mafia-owned cocaine when it went down, The Mirror reported.

In one of the recordings, 'Ndrangheta boss Michele Rossi, said to his associate Massimo Tiralongo that the ship, which made them a laughing stock around the world, took the "p**s" out of them as well.

The captain of the ship, Francesco Schettino, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter over the deaths of 32 people as well as for causing shipwreck and abandoning ship while many of the 4,200 passengers were still on board the stricken vessel.

The officers added that the drugs were secretly stored on the ship without the knowledge of any senior officials.

Another criminal investigation into Mafia drugs disclosed that the 'Ndrangheta had placed drugs on ships owned by MSC and Norwegian Cruise Lines as well.