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Messina, drug market dismantled in Santa Lucia sopra Contesse. State Police arrests 24 individuals

The investigations have allowed us to identify and reconstruct the existence of three distinct criminal organizations, all located in the same territorial context, dedicated to the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine, crack and marijuana, destined for the Messina market and the hinterland of the entire province.

Messina, drug market dismantled in Santa Lucia sopra Contesse. State Police arrests 24 individuals

In the early hours of the morning, State Police officers from the Messina Police Headquarters, directed by Police Chief Annino Gargano, They were engaged in a police operation that led to the arrest of 24 people, most of whom had criminal and police records, some specifically relating to narcotics, recipients of an Order for the application of personal precautionary measures issued by the GIP at the Court of Messina, following a compliant request from the DDA of the Messina Prosecutor's Office, for the crimes of criminal association aimed at the possession and trafficking of narcotics, as well as retail sale of cocaine, crack and marijuana.

Today's Judicial Police activity represents the epilogue of the most recent investigations carried out by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Messina - District Anti-Mafia Directorate, coordinated by Prosecutor Antonio D'Amato and conducted by the Flying Squad, directed by Vittorio La Torre, on a criminal gang dedicated to carrying out an unspecified series of crimes aimed at the procurement and subsequent retail sale of narcotic substances.

Messina, smantellato il market della droga a Santa Lucia sopra Contesse. La Polizia di Stato arresta 24 soggetti

The investigations, started in September 2021 following numerous reports of drug dealing inside an illegal building located in the Case arcobaleno complex in the village of Santa Lucia sopra Contesse, have allowed us to identify and reconstruct the existence of three distinct criminal organizations, linked to each other by family ties or by necessity for the supply of narcotics, all located in the same territorial context, dedicated to the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine, crack and marijuana, destined for the Messina market and the hinterland of the entire province.

The investigations of the judicial police, conducted through traditional investigative techniques, in particular stakeouts and shadowing, as well as with the use of certain technical devices, have allowed for the documentation of multiple illicit conducts of the suspects, with the division of tasks and the awareness of each of them of being members of stable, structured criminal associations functional to the illicit trade of narcotic substances.

In fact, it has been ascertained that each member of the group covered a specific “role”; in particular, the presence of individuals primarily responsible for logistics was found, others with the task of managing the "proceeds" deriving from sales, still others responsible for processing the drugs and the pushers, also called "workers", responsible for the relative deliveries, employed in compliance with specific work shifts and regularly paid for the work carried out.

One of the main promoters, in order to evade the controls of the police, used as an operational base for dealing, an illegal brick building located in the immediate vicinity of his home. A small place consisting of a single room of about 15 square meters and a small bathroom attached, with an entrance door and adjacent balcony protected by a metal grate and a bamboo fence, positioned in such a way as not to allow visibility from the inside.

With the obvious aim of preventing police intervention, a sophisticated video surveillance system had been installed in that premises, consisting of several cameras positioned in places that were not visible, in order to monitor the entire area in front of the building in 360 degrees. In particular, inside this small room the cocaine was processed, packaged in doses and resold in the form of crack.

This structure, conventionally called “Casetta” by the members of the gang, is considered the main drug dealing location in the province of Messina, so much so that it is capable of producing estimated earnings of up to 100.000 euros per week.

The considerable turnover attributable to drug dealing inside that illegal building emerged in all its breadth through the observation services carried out by investigators in the vicinity of the site, where the unfolding of a "typical day" was documented, therefore the presence of pushers, the constant coming and going of buyers. (over 50 sales in half a day), the price of the drug (bought at 40 euros per gram and resold at 60) and the remuneration for the work carried out by the so-called workers, handsomely paid in accordance with the figures resulting from the technical activities.

Moreover, the personality of the criminals, deduced from the modus operandi, crystallized in the meticulous execution of a criminal program dedicated to drug trafficking, developed in a delinquent context, the Rainbow Houses of the Santa Lucia neighborhood above Contesse, in which the phenomenon of drug dealing is considered an absolutely normal activity and suitable for a shared and prolonged lifestyle, considered more than ever habitual, in a situation of crystallized and stable illegality.

Messina, smantellato il market della droga a Santa Lucia sopra Contesse. La Polizia di Stato arresta 24 soggetti

Precisely by investigating such conduct, personnel of the Flying Squad, following the investigations carried out and in order to curb their illicit activity, proceeded at different times to arrest eight individuals in flagrante delicto for possession of narcotics for the purpose of dealing, as they were caught in possession of a total of over one kilogram of cocaine and two kilograms of marijuana, as well as to seize approximately 20.000 euros in cash, the latter amount considered to be the proceeds of drug dealing.

On the basis of the circumstantial evidence thus collected, barring different judicial assessments at subsequent levels and without prejudice to the general principle of non-guilt until a final judgment has been reached, the Judge for Preliminary Investigations, at the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Messina, District Anti-Mafia Directorate, has applied the precautionary measure of detention in prison for 22 suspects and that of house arrest for the other 2 suspects.

The tracking and execution of precautionary measures were carried out by the Messina Flying Squad, with the assistance of personnel from the SISCO of Messina, the Flying Squads of Catania, Caltanissetta, Syracuse, Enna, Cosenza, Cuneo and Pesaro Urbino, the Crime Prevention Unit "Eastern Sicily" and "Western Sicily", the dog units of the Palermo Police Headquarters and the PS Police Stations of the Messina Police Headquarters, for a total of 100 State Police officers.

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