Albanian drug organization dismantled in Italy, 8 arrest warrants issued
An international operation against drug trafficking was carried out in the early hours of the morning by the Italian State Police, leading to the arrest of nine people, eight of Albanian origin and one Italian citizen, suspected of being part of a structured criminal organization for international narcotics trafficking.
The operation, codenamed “STURL ONE”, was carried out by the Reggio Emilia Police, under the coordination of the Bologna Prosecutor’s Office-District Antimafia Directorate, and involved the execution of the “custodial arrest” security measure, approved by the Bologna Pre-Trial Court. Arrests and searches were carried out in several provinces of Italy, including Reggio Emilia, Bergamo, Brescia and Savona, as well as in France, Spain and Albania, thanks to the cooperation with foreign police authorities and the Albanian Criminal Police.
The investigations are a continuation of the previous operations "TREXIT 2019" and "BLACK MAMBA", which in 2021 and 2022 led to the arrest of 35 people. The investigations show that the organization had high logistical and financial capacity, importing large quantities of cocaine, hashish and marijuana from South America, Northern Europe and Spain, hidden in trucks loaded with vegetables, writes A2 CNN.
In just six months, the criminal group is suspected of distributing over 200 kilograms of cocaine and about 1 ton of hashish and marijuana, generating profits in millions of euros. Members of the organization communicated through the encrypted platform “SkyECC”, which was decrypted by French authorities in late 2020, paving the way for the criminal activity to be uncovered.
In total, 15 people are under investigation, while drugs, cash and communication devices were seized during the checks. During a check in Brescia, a Moroccan citizen was arrested red-handed with over 3 kg of drugs and 5.800 euros. Italian authorities describe the operation as a major blow to the criminal organization's dome.
