“Crossroads” investigation: 10 arrests between Minervino Murge, Spinazzola, Canosa di Puglia and Cerignola.

On the morning of October 9, 100 Carabinieri from the Provincial Command of Barletta-Andria-Trani - supported by personnel from the 6th Helicopter Unit, the Puglia Helicopter Hunters Squadron and the Modugno Dog Unit - carried out - in cities of Minervino Murge, Spinazzola, Canosa di Puglia and Cerignola, to the order of pre-trial detention -issued by the GIP of the Court of Trani at the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Trani – in which serious evidence of guilt is recognized in the proceedings against 10 subjects investigated for several episodes of possession and dealing of narcotic substances in competition as well as possession and carrying in a public place of weapons and related ammunition, aggravated threats, receiving stolen goods, robbery, attempted extortion and stalking.

The precautionary measure is the result of investigative activity, directed by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Trani and conducted from February to May 2023 from the Andria Company with the collaboration of the Territorial Commands of the Arma di Minervino Murge and Spinazzola, originating from investigative insights relating to crimes against the person aggravated by the use of weapons committed in the Murgia area and which led to the reconstruction of a violent and unscrupulous supply chain of psychotropic substances who also had firearms at his disposal.

In particular, the staff of the Spinazzola Station Command, in acquiring the news of the crime relating to the alleged occurrence threat aggravated by the use of weapons to the detriment of a private citizen, immediately perceived that such an event could be related to a flourishing retail activity of psychotropic substances that involved several subjects residing both in that town and in that of Minervino Murge, to whom a large number of buyers could turn to obtain narcotic substances for sale. The investigative capacity demonstrated by the personnel employed in the investigation activities carried out, including technical ones, linked to a profitable knowledge of local criminal dynamics and of individual subjects, allowed the activity to be started, which ended with the execution of 9 October.

According to the investigative approach formulated by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Trani and accepted by the investigating judge (without prejudice to the assessment in the subsequent procedural phases also conducted in light of the contribution of the defence), a flourishing activity of sale of narcotic substance (cocaine almost exclusively) took place in the drug dealing areas of Minervino Murge and the surrounding area. Trading activities which resulted in violent conduct against buyers who are in default or late in paying the substance, with actual death threats, stalking, extortion carried out with the forced removal of material goods and documents - securities and personal effects, held by the associates until the debt was paid.

The intense commitment of the investigators, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Trani, has also allowed us to Reconstruct the narcotics supply chain then sold at retail in the municipality of Minervino Murge. The drugs, purchased in large quantities in Cerignola, were then transported to the municipality of Alto Murgiano where they were divided up and sold.

6 the suspects for whom precautionary custody has been ordered in jail and for the remaining ones 4 the precautionary measure has been ordered for the arrest.

The investigations, supported by technical activities carried out through telephone interceptions, acquisition of records, video recordings, vehicle monitoring, ordinary judicial police activities such as observation, control, shadowing, document acquisition, witness interviews, searches and seizures, allowed us to record a significant number of sales, the requests for which reached the various drug dealers.

Furthermore, during the activity, we proceeded to the arrest of 5 people and referral of another to a state of freedom for possession for the purpose of trafficking of narcotic substances, to perform 2 records found for administrative offences (ex art. 75 dpr 309/90) to the same number of buyers, seizure of doses of cocaine, discovery of various materials for cutting and packaging the substance, of telephone cards and mobile phones used for the commission of the crimes investigated as well as belonging to debtor customers.

We also proceeded with referral in a state of freedom of a subject for illegal possession of hunting ammunition, as well as al seizure of hunting ammunition, of a rifle barrel (double-barreled shotgun) of illicit origin and to finding of a stolen car.

The result achieved is the outcome of the constant action of prevention and repression of drug-related crimes by the military of the Arma, under the direction of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Trani associated with the awareness and information campaign carried out especially towards young people with meetings held at schools.

The proceedings are in the preliminary investigation phase; the execution of the precautionary measure of October 9th will be followed by the preliminary hearing and the confrontation with the defense of the suspects, whose possible guilt, in relation to the contested crimes, will have to be ascertained during the trial in the adversarial process between the parties.