Tuscany, ROS strike the Gallace gang that has infiltrated Tuscany and capture a fugitive of the 'Ndrangheta

Tuscany, at dawn on Thursday 15 April 2021, the Carabinieri Special Operational Group, together with the CC Provincial Command of Livorno, with the support of the Carabinieri Commands of Tuscany, Liguria, Lombardy, Lazio, Sardinia, of the 4th CC Helicopter Unit of Pisa , of the CC Dog Unit of Florence CASTELLO, of the 6th CC “Toscana” Battalion, carried out two precautionary custody orders in prison/house arrest issued by the GIP of the Court of Florence, at the request of the local DDA (Proc. Deputy Dr. Eligio Paolini), against n. 17 subjects, seriously suspected, for various reasons, of criminal association aimed at extortion, illicit competition with violence and threats, irregular sub-contracting and other, as well as criminal association aimed at international drug trafficking, detention for the purpose of dealing narcotic substances, personal aiding and abetting, all aggravated both by the mafia method and by having facilitated the GALLACE Cosca of Guardavalle (CZ).
The measures, which affect subjects and entrepreneurs close to the GALLACE Cosca of Guardavalle (CZ) on two distinct levels (entrepreneurial/drug trafficking), derive from a complex investigation conducted by the ROS (Florence branch) and by the Provincial Command CC of Livorno structured on two mutually converging strands:

• the first relating to the large supply of cocaine by the Calabrian gang and the subsequent distribution in Tuscany, in which an important fugitive of 'Ndrangheta (“GEPPO” segment);
• the second concerns the infiltration of the GALLACE Cosca into Tuscany in the aggregate supply sector through direct control over a historic Mugello company, which influenced local competition (imposing the criminal force of the mafia gang) by winning important public contracts to the detriment of others companies in the sector (“CALATRURIA” segment).

Overall, the investigation, whose first findings date back to the end of 2018, has evolved along 2 main lines:

1. control of the earthmoving market (extortion and illegal competition) in various Tuscan provinces, through extortion activities and illegal competition with violence/threats, carried out by top management of the historic sector company "CANTINI Marino srl" of Vicchio (FI) through the impresario CANTINI Graziano and his main collaborator VERDIGLIONE Nicola, who - directly connected to organic subjects of the GALLACE Clan (VITALE Domenico/CHIEFARI Nicola) - knowingly exploited the strength of the mafia clique to impose themselves on the earthmoving market /supply of aggregates to the detriment of competing companies, effectively "infiltrating" important public contracts in Tuscany. Said conduct was carried out by various entrepreneurs/technicians in the sector in relation to the supply of material for the works to be carried out on an important construction site relating to a million-dollar contract in the Castelfiorentino/Empoli area.
   Likewise, links of convenience were found with the Arezzo Public Administration (Consorzio Bonifica Valdarno) for the direct assignment of works for limited amounts (below the threshold), on which investigative investigations are underway.
   Among the disputed episodes stands out the extortion carried out against a Calabrian businessman with the help of the Crotone businessman LEROSE Francesco, arrested today also in the parallel anti-mafia investigation by the District Attorney's Office of Florence, for crimes relating to the illicit disposal of waste and more, aggravated by mafia facilitation (Operation “KEU”).
   In this regard, the words used by the investigating judge in the order: "the relevant evidentiary compendium collected in the proceedings highlights, beyond the sensational episodes of intimidation, a partnership between the suspects... aimed at acquiring the monopoly of economic activities in the sector in which CANTINI operates Marino srl, closely associated with FIGLINESE Inerti srl, as well as (in a less "discovered" way, given the criminal depth of its members) IDROGEO srl (with the clarification that with respect to the latter the evidentiary framework cannot be considered exhaustive). The acquisition of this de facto monopoly is made possible by the presence of two large exponents of Calabrian crime, operating in Tuscany in the Valdarno since a long time, who do not limit themselves to giving their approval but also influence, with the intimidating force of the criminal organization of belonging, in order to determine balances that go beyond the normal ones of the free market, according to a logic that is not competitive but rather taxing and subjecting";
2. international drug trafficking, led to the total seizure of approximately kg. approximately 191 of cocaine (May 2017 - August 2019) in which context the location and arrest of the fugitive RIITANO Francesco (August 2019) identified under a false name in Giardini Naxos (again by the Carabinieri of Livorno and the ROS) was achieved ( ME), as the recipient of a precautionary measure from the investigating judge of Milano (“Area 51” investigation) issued as a culmination of an anti-drug investigation by the Carabinieri Milano and ROS. The aforementioned fugitive was identified thanks to his solid connection with the suspect VITALE Domenico, who periodically met him in secret locations as emerged in the investigation.
   The RIITANO/VITALE duo represents the top of the group, a direct emanation of the GALLACE Cosca: in this line of investigation a logistics base was identified in the province of Pisa, near the shed of one of the suspects, used both to store large quantities of narcotics and to hide weapons, part of which were seized last 7 January 2021 by the Carabinieri of Livorno during an operation - connected to the present investigation - conducted by the DDA of Cagliari, which led to the arrest of DESSI' Robertino (among those arrested today), as it is part of a further criminal group of Sardinian origin specialized in attacks on armored vehicles. The synergy between the Carabinieri of Livorno and Cagliari led to the seizure, on 31 July 2021 in Cagliari, of a massive quantity of weapons and explosives intended for assaults.

During today's operation, in addition to the arrests, numerous searches are also underway against companies in the construction sector interested in profiting from mafia conduct of the group dismantled today.
At the same time, a further precautionary custody order for international drug trafficking is being executed by the Guardia di Finanza on mandate from the DDA of Catanzaro to the address of members of the GALLACE Cosca of Guardavalle (CZ) [Operation “MOLO 13”].