Reggio Emilia, drug and arms trafficking: 38 precautionary measures issued

Over 130 men from the State Police, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Reggio Emilia, directed by Dr. Calogero Gaetano Paci, they carried out 38 personal precautionary measures issued against as many seriously suspected subjects (since this is a proceeding in the preliminary investigation phase with a dutiful presumption of innocence of the suspects), in various capacities, of trafficking in narcotic substances, possession of common firearms, including clandestine ones, and, with reference to only one of the recipients of the provision, of aiding and abetting illegal immigration.

The operation, called Last, Has originated from the checks carried out in the abandoned area of ​​the Ex Reggiane that, until the eviction took place in September 2021, represented, as emerged in multiple investigative activities carried out by the Reggio Emilia Police Headquarters (Exit, Rexit, Trexit and Piazzale Pulito operations), the epicenter of the city's drug dealing.

During the operation, started in August 2021 and also supported by technological devices, the State Police had already proceeded to make 22 arrests in flagrante delicto by kidnapping, overall, over 11 kilos of narcotics and in particular:

· COCAINE: 7.167,39 grams gross

· EORINA; 19,46 grams gross

· MARIJUANA: 135,7 grams gross

· HASHISH: 3.714,05 grams gross

Besides the amazing they are 41 thousand euros in cash and 4 common firearms were seized

· No. 1 Beretta semi-automatic pistol mod. 34 caliber 7,65 with serial number partially abraded;

· No. 1 Beretta semi-automatic pistol mod. 81 Pantented caliber 7,65 with serial number completely abraded;

· No. 1 double trigger double trigger with parallel barrels and pistol grip, caliber 410, also known as 36 magnum;

· No. 5 rounds of 7.65 caliber firearm ammunition;

· No. 16 rounds of .32 caliber firearm ammunition;

· No. 5 320 caliber blank cartridges.

During the procedure, then, it is steps were taken to prohibit the running of a public pizzeria in the city, managed by two subjects drawn from the precautionary provision, in which it was documented, at least circumstantially, drug dealing activity.

Among the recipients of the precautionary measure are subjects of various nationalities (Italian, Albanian, Nigerian, Tunisian and Moroccan) inserted, according to the investigative report, at different levels of the narcotics trafficking chain.

Some of subjects drawn from the precautionary measure, then, they were apparently well integrated into the socio-economic fabric of the city and owners of catering establishments, as a pizzeria, and of public establishments such as a gas station. Among the Among the 38 recipients of the measure there are also three women, all companions of other subjects drawn from measures with which, according to the accusatory statement, they ran the drug dealing business in a familiar way.

One of the recipients of the precautionary measure is seriously suspected, as well as trafficking in narcotic substances, also to have favored the immigration of compatriots from Nigeria, via Niger and Libya, to Italy. The wiretaps documented the activity of aiding and abetting illegal immigration carried out by the intercepted person was not occasional but could count on contacts with the international network of human traffickers and also on local contacts that allowed him to procure, upon payment, declarations of hospitality.

Particularly, starting from first telephone details provided by the monitored person to the foreigner heading illegally to Italy, it was rebuilt precisely a “journey”. In another circumstance, however, the arrival of the compatriots was interrupted in May 2022, in Libya where i migrants had been arrested and expelled.