Aprilia (Latina): Mafia, drug trafficking, extortion and usury. 25 people arrested

By order of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of Rome, in Aprilia (Latin) a large operation is underway of the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate and the Provincial Command of the Carabinieri of Latina to execute an order, issued by the GIP of the Court of Rome at the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Rome – District Anti-Mafia Directorate, which orders precautionary measures against 25 people, some of who are seriously suspected of being part of a mafia association rooted in Aprilia (Latin) aimed at committing extortion, usury, crimes against the public administration and drug trafficking.

More in particular, during investigation activity, started in March 2018 by the Investigation Directorate Anti-mafia – Operations Centre in Rome with the support, since October of the same year, of the Carabinieri Territorial Department of Aprilia, with coordination of the DDA (district anti-mafia directorate) of the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office, were collected seriously circumstantial elements regarding the existence of a mafia association, operating in the territory of Aprilia and neighboring municipalities making use of the intimidating force of the associative bond and the condition of subjugation and silence that derives from it, with the aim of committing more crimes:

• of trafficking in narcotic substances, of aggravated extortion, robbery, injuries and threats useful to impose oneself on the territory and obtain the support of detained affiliates;
• of usury and abusive exercise of financial activity against traders and entrepreneurs in the town of Aprilia for large sums of money and with the imposition of usurious rates;
• of possession and carrying of useful weapons to the commission of crimes and the maintenance of control of the territory and to reiterate the superiority of the association;
• to directly and indirectly acquire the management and in any case the control of economic activities, of public contracts and services, of hindering the free exercise of the vote.

Together with personal precautionary measures, carried out against suspects for whom the principle of presumption of innocence applies, real precautionary measures were ordered by the Judge for Preliminary Investigations and numerous searches are also underway.