Latina, the NAS Carabinieri dismantle international trafficking of drugs of illicit origin

Latina, In the early hours of today's morning, the Carabinieri of the Nas of Latina, at the conclusion of a detailed investigation, conventionally called "traveling drug", carried out 18 precautionary measures - of which 5 in prison, 5 under house arrest and 8 to the obligation to report to the Prosecutor's Office - against the same number of subjects under investigation for criminal conspiracy aimed at international trafficking of drugs (intended for particular treatments such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy) of illicit origin, forgery, theft, receiving stolen goods and fraud against the NHS The activity was intensely coordinated by the Deputy Prosecutor Dr. Carlo Lasperanza and the deputy. proc. Dr. Daria Monsurrò, also in direct collaboration (several meetings were held at the English Embassy in Rome) with the representatives of the English National Crime Agency (NCA) (a structure of the British Ministry of the Interior responsible for combating criminal organisations) .

The restrictive measures - issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Latina, Dr. Pier Paolo Bortone, were carried out with the use of a device by over 100 soldiers of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Health, of the territorial force in the provinces of Naples, Caserta, Avellino, Florence, Milano and La Spezia, with the support of ROS technical staff.

The investigation made it possible to dismantle a criminal association, based in Sant'Antimo (NA), outlining the roles of the suspects (mostly with police records for crimes against the person and property) who, through spending of false medical prescriptions and attributable to bills that were subject to theft (perpetrated by the same associates at healthcare facilities and medical practices in the Lazio, Tuscany and Lombardy regions), they unduly acquired (and at no cost) high-cost drugs (totally paid for by the NHS) in pharmacies in the aforementioned regions to which the prescription books belonged, resulting in some cases in the unavailability of these medicines (for patients, pharmacies and regional pharmaceutical depots).

The in-depth investigations conducted - through technical activities, photographic reconnaissance of postal parcels destined for foreign countries (Great Britain), repeated shadowing services, video acquisitions from pharmacies for the identification of the subjects involved, the examination of a multitude of data and of health documentation (around 10.000 prescriptions) - allowed us to trace the modus operandi of the members of the entire association structure and the recovery, with simultaneous seizure, of 260 packages of drugs (for a total value of around 10.000 euros) and 650 prescriptions medical devices subject to theft.

The subsequent channel for receiving illicitly obtained drugs was therefore identified which, once collected in illegal warehouses, located in Sant'Antimo, were sent - by courier - to the United Kingdom to one of the associates (already at large as he was affected by a previous provision restrictive), which reintroduced them into the legal European commercial circuit, making use of local operators and wholesalers.
It is highlighted as an element of particular investigative importance that the collaboration with the English Authorities, aimed at ascertaining the conduct carried out in the British territory and to trace the financial flows of the proceeds obtained illicitly (quantified at approximately 1 million euros, an amount unduly reimbursed by the SSN to the pharmacies involved), allowed the closure of the illicit commercial channels on site and the simultaneous seizure of some drugs being shipped.