Messina, large operation by the Carabinieri against drug trafficking: 112 precautionary measures

In today's data, the Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Messina have carried out, in Sicilia, Calabria, in other localities in the national territory and in Spain, to ordinances of precautionary custody against over 110 people (85 recipients of pre-trial detention in prison e 27 under house arrest), of which 4 by the Penitentiary Police, issued by the GIP of the Court of Messina, at the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office. Among the recipients of precautionary measures, 16 are already detained in prison.

The execution of restrictive measures It follows three separate investigations coordinated by the Messina District Anti-Mafia Directorate, starting since January 2021 to the present; of which, one carried out by the Carabinieri of the Messina Sud Company, the other two from the Carabinieri Company of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto.

The detailed and complex investigations revealed the existence e the operation of various criminal organizations in the city of Messina and Barcelonan, active in drug trafficking, with connections with Calabrian criminal structures and subjects also active in Campania, Lombardy and abroad.

As part of the three investigative activities, they were, in fact, documented several, stable, drug supply channels, With the Calabria, for cocaine; with some subjects active in the provinces of Naples and Milano, as well as with the Spain, for hashish; and with entities active in the Netherlands, with reference to spice, synthetic cannabinoid with a psychotropic effect that is extremely harmful to health.

The investigations are detailed and complex, they have structured themselves, using traditional telephone and environmental wiretap tools; of services observation and shadowing with arrests and seizures of narcotic substances; of the declarations of subjects who have started collaboration with the judicial authority.

The items collected, Therefore, have revealed the organizational chart of 4 of the main criminal organizations operating since 2020, in a drug trafficking and in the management of drug dealing squares in the Messina neighbourhoods of Giostra, Santa Lucia Sopra Contesse, CEP Village and Aldisio Village, as well as in the areas of Barcelona Judicial and Milazzo Police.

Particularly, the investigation delegated to the Carabinieri Company of Messina Sud concerned the execution of precautionary measures in prison and under house arrest against 49 people, seriously suspected - for various reasons - for the crimes of “association aimed at drug trafficking”, “possession, cultivation, sale and trafficking of narcotic substances”, "self-laundering” and “carrying and possession of clandestine weapons”.

The roles and structures of a criminal group have been outlined, considered among the most active in drug trafficking in the Peloritana area, with significant relationships with criminal organizations in other regions, reorganized and reasserted itself on the territory after a previous investigation by this District Attorney's Office and delegated to the Carabinieri of Messina which, on July 19, 2022, it had led to the arrest of 18 people. The partnership, with operational base in the popular Messina neighborhood “Giostra” and with the availability of weapons, would have sold, in time, large quantities of narcotics, supplying multiple drug dealers in the various neighborhoods in the areas north and south of the capital and of the Nebroidean and Tyrrhenian areas of the province, in particular in Tortorici. The narcotic would have been stored and kept in the homes of some associates, strategically protected by video surveillance systems, railings and armored doors, aimed at delaying the access times of the Police Force during the searches and allow, in the meantime, the concealment of the drugs and weapons, creating real "forts" that are difficult, if not impossible, to access. Indeed, during the investigations into the joint operating in Messina, in January 2021, we recorded the wounding of a policeman, who, in an attempt to enter a house to be searched, was injured in the foot, as a result of the sudden and voluntary closing, against him, of an armored door protecting the apartment.

The organization, also through the considerable economic availability acquired and the proven criminal capabilities, would have established itself on the illicit drug market, being able to count on numerous supply channels, identified in the areas of San Luca and Rosarno (Reggio Calabria), as well as in subjects operating in the Neapolitan area and others Milano; or, again, making use, in case of difficulty, of other Messina groups active in drug dealing. Based on what emerged from the investigations, the association would have reused part of the funds profits from drug trafficking - which is estimated to be equal to approx. €500.000 monthly, flowing into a common fund - into abusiness activity in the clothing sector of Messina, allocating another part to the families of detained associates. The investigation also revealed a second criminal gang, Which is supplied narcotics from the main association, qualifying itself as a privileged purchasing group, then, put it up for sale in the popular neighborhood called “Villaggio Aldisio”.

On the Barcelona side, of the two investigative activities, the first culminated in the arrest of 28 people, of which 24 by the Carabinieri Company of Barcelona Judicial Police; the remaining 4 by the Penitentiary Police of the Palermo Penitentiary Administration Office; in particular, 23 recipients of pre-trial detention in jail e 5 under house arrest, seriously suspected - in various capacities - of the crimes of “association aimed at drug trafficking”, “possession, sale and trafficking of narcotic substances”, “criminal conspiracy aimed at the illicit introduction of mobile phones into penitentiary institutions', “illegal possession of weapons” e“fraudulent transfer of values”.

Also on this side, the investigations were coordinated by the DDA.(District Anti-Mafia Directorate) of the Messina Public Prosecutor's Office and delegated to the Carabinieri of the Company of Barcelona Judicial Police; a segment of the same investigations were delegated to the staff of the Regional Investigative Unit of Sicily of the Penitentiary Police, for crimes alleged to have been committed within the prisons of the Barcelona Judicial Police.

Investigative activities they allowed us to reconstruct the subjective and objective components of a criminal organization, Judicial Police active in Barcelona in the narco-trafficking of large quantities of cocaine, marijuana and hashish. The suspects allegedly carried out an intense drug dealing activity, systematically, through a structured criminal organization; with the availability of weapons; compost, between top management and affiliates, even by individuals linked by family ties, that would have distributed the drugs to a network of drug dealers in the Barcelona area and in neighboring countries, also selling it to other drug traffickers in the province of Catania.

The drug, in particular hashish, would have been, in part, supplied from Spain, through an associate living there and then stored and hidden in the homes of others affiliated to the coterie, who used acar dealership in Barcelona la Judicial Police, fictitiously registered in the name of some suspects, although attributable to one of the leaders of the association, as an operational base for drug trafficking as well as what commercial activity where to direct part of the proceeds of the illicit drug dealing activity.

From the investigations carried out by the military personnel, together with the Regional Investigation Unit of the Penitentiary Police, it emerged that, in order to increase their income, the criminal association would have, really, introduced drugs into the prison of the Barcelona Judicial Police, Where one of the promoters, detained there, directed and coordinated the distribution of doses and cell phones, also illicitly introduced, to other inmates.

Investigative activity also has allowed to collect clues about the existence of a further criminal group, connected to the first association, aimed at the illicit introduction of mobile phones into the Barcelona Judicial Police prison, made up of prisoners and a woman who, from outside the institute, he would have introduced the hidden devices inside packages intended for prisoners. Among the recipients of the precautionary measure in prison are a Penitentiary Police Officer and an ASP nurse (Provincial Health Authority) of Messina, at the time both in service at the aforementioned prison. The first would have assisted one of the leaders of the clan - subjected to detention - handing him narcotics, then, distributed in the prison; the second allegedly introduced the drugs into the prison, which was then sold to some inmates.

simultaneously, to the execution of precautionary measures, the soldiers of the Arma they also carried out the preventive seizure of the share capital and business summary of 5 companies, including one car dealership, located in Barcelona Judicial Police, Milazzo and in Spain, as well as 7 real estate properties (buildings and land), cars, insurance policies and current accounts, including one relating to a Spanish credit institution, registered or in the availability of the suspects, of the total value of 4 million euros, having been substantial circumstantial elements were acquired to believe that these activities were the reuse of illicitly acquired profits.

Still on the Barcelona side, the second segment of the investigation does, today, register the execution of the precautionary custody order against 35 people, of which 20 recipients of the measure in prison e 15 under house arrest, Of which 10 already detained; at present, seriously suspected - in various capacities - of “association aimed at drug trafficking”, “possession, sale and trafficking of narcotic substances”, "extortion", “illegal possession and carrying of weapons”, as well as “unlawful introduction of mobile phones into penitentiary institutions”.

Investigative activity ha allowed to reconstruct the reference coordinates of a criminal organization, with operational bases in Barcelona Judicial Police and Milazzo (Messina), dedicated to trafficking large quantities of drugs synthetic called spice, as well as cocaine and marijuana.

In particular, the criminal group would have imported the spice from the Dutch market -in considerable quantities, via websites regarding, apparently, the trade of legitimate products - for subsequent sale, to a turnover of approximately 50.000 euros per month. Are strong pressures also emerged, practice by affiliates against some drug dealers, their buyers, to force them to honor drug debts owed to the gang.

From the investigations conducted, this criminal organization would also have had the availability of weapons and its criminal strength would have emerged from the circumstance of being able to operate in drug trafficking, without suffering interference from competing associations in the Barcelona Judicial Police area  Despite being 3 distinct investigations, elements of connection between the territories involved emerged, as documented for spice trafficking, who from the Barcelona Judicial Police group, as well as pushers in the area, was sold to drug dealers from Messina, achieved bytoday's provision, who distributed the substance to consumers in the capital.

The above, for the purposes of exercising the right to freedom of the press, constitutionally guaranteed
and respecting the rights of suspects, who, in consideration of the current phase of preliminary investigations, they are to be presumed innocent until the irrevocable sentence which ascertains their responsibilities and with the clarification that the judgment, which will take place in cross-examination with the parties and defenses before a third and impartial judge, can also end with proof of the absence of any form of responsibility on the part of the suspects themselves and return of the seized assets.

Previous 1 di 6 The next