Milano. 11 individuals arrested, under investigation for criminal conspiracy aimed at international drug trafficking. 

On March 8, 2024, in Milano, Rho (Ml), Monza, Vimercate (MB), Verona and Tropea (VV), the Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Milano have implemented an order applying precautionary measures issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Milano, upon request of the local District Anti-Mafia Directorate, against eleven people (an Albanian citizen and ten Italians, including a woman, aged between 68 and 24), all held responsible, of the crime of criminal association aimed at international drug trafficking e in two, of self-laundering and money laundering crimes.

The provision arises from the results of a detailed investigation activity conducted by the Operational and Radiomobile Unit of the Sesto San Giovanni Company, from January 2021 to March 2023, which made it possible to prove the existence of a criminal association dedicated to the international trafficking of hashish and marijuana, purchased and imported by road transport, from Spain to Italy and subsequently resold in the provinces of Milano and Monza Brianza.

The investigations, developed with traditional methodologies and technical activities, have made it possible, in particular, to:

• contextualize the operations and structure of the criminal group dedicated to a thriving business of importing and dealing drugs, which made use of the work of one of his associates responsible for maintaining and managing contacts with drug suppliers directly from Spain;
• identify the private homes of the suspects as storage places and warehouses located in industrial areas in the provinces of Monza and Milano;
• shed light on an initial episode of large importation of marijuana and hashish as well as 27 episodes of sales to buyers;
• arrest, in flagrante delicto, 5 subjects and seize, to date, 283 kg of marijuana and 158 kg of hashish;
• challenge two of the suspects for the use of sums deriving from illicit activity in cryptocurrencies (“Ethereum”) in order to hinder the identification of the criminal origin.

Eight of the subjects will be recipients of precautionary measure of custody in prison, three of them under house arrest.

At the same time, a preventive seizure decree will be executed "for equivalent" aimed at direct confiscation, up to the amount of two million four hundred thousand euros, which will concern the assets of the promoters and organizers of the association, including the entire business compendium of two companies (a bar and a car rental company), five buildings and three lands (for an estimated value of over €500.000), seven vehicles, including a sports car (for an estimated value of over €300.000) and membership fees amounting to approximately €20.000, in addition to movable assets that will be identified during the execution phase.