Bagheria: drug trafficking syndicate dismantled.

On the morning of October 2, 2025, at Palermo, Bagheria, and Termini Imerese, the Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Palermo, assisted by their colleagues of the 12th "Sicilia" Regiment and the anti-drug canine units of Palermo Villagrazia, with the cover from the sky of an aircraft of the 9th Helicopter Nucleus of Palermo, carried out a precautionary custody order, issued by the Preliminary Investigations Judge at the Court of Palermo, at the request of the local District Anti-Mafia Directorate, against 10 people (2 of whom were already in prison for other reasons), considered responsible – in various capacities – of having been part of an association dedicated to drug trafficking or of having participated in drug dealing activities.

Eight more people under investigation at large, four of which were searched this morning.

The measure arises from a complex investigative activity, conducted by the Operational and Radiomobile Unit of the Bagheria Company from October 2022 to June 2023, which allowed us to identify, monitor and combat the criminal organisation, operating in the municipality of Bagheria.

The investigations, also conducted through technical interception activities, allowed us to ascertain that the person who personally managed the drug business was a thirty-year-old local man with a criminal record for drug dealing who was responsible for maintaining relationships with suppliers, establishing weekly wages for individual pushers, hiring drug couriers and, when necessary, reprimanding and removing other dealers who attempted to commit crimes in the same area.

The interceptions also allowed us to record entire operational meetings during which specific instructions were given to individual members and various clues emerged regarding the existence of a criminal agreement for the division of drug dealing areas also based on the type of narcotics to be sold.

The reports on the drug dealing activity and the intercepted conversations also allowed us to identify the amount of crack actually sold and the gang's daily takings, estimated at 1.000 euros.

Furthermore, during the activity, the Carabinieri proceeded to notify the precautionary custody order against one of the recipients of the provision, also arrested in flagrante delicto, found in possession of 22 grams of crack and the sum of 2.236 euros, considered to be the proceeds of drug dealing.

Furthermore, the military proceeded to charge the latter with preventive seizure of a car and a luxury watch.

During the investigations he was arrested in A young man from Bagheria, believed to be one of the most active drug dealers, was found in possession of approximately 45 grams of crack, divided into 164 doses, in the act of committing the crime.

Today's operation is the result of constant action to combat the serious phenomenon of drug trafficking which the Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Palermo carry out, without stopping, through the incessant action of territorial control and the widespread presence throughout the Province of Palermo, with particular reference to the most disadvantaged areas and neighborhoods.