Rome, under-30 gang dismantled: 8 arrests and €187,000 seized
Police dismantle a drug trafficking organisation with members aged 18–30 that moved €350,000 worth of hashish and cocaine towards central Italy. Eight arrests, seven remanded in custody.
Under-30 gang's drug trafficking network broken up
A young drug dealers' organisation, with members aged between 18 and 30, has been dismantled by Rome police. According to romatoday.it, the group had moved over four quintals of hashish and almost one kilogramme of cocaine over six months, valued at more than €350,000. Of the eight people arrested, seven were remanded in custody in prison.
The investigation, conducted by the judicial police squad of the Primavalle district and the Mobile Squad, originated in 2022 from a seizure of 50 kilogrammes of hashish in Bracciano, destined for Abruzzo. That haul provided the first lead to reconstruct the entire structure of the organisation, coordinated by magistrates from the anti-mafia district directorate.
The gang's hierarchical pyramid was articulated into three levels. At the top were three bosses, who directed eight associates tasked with managing storage depots and remunerated with approximately €8,000 monthly. At the base, occasional couriers operated, paid between €500 and €800 per month depending on the distance travelled. Communications between members took place through messaging applications, with a user who employed a nickname to coordinate commercial negotiations.
Storage points were located in various Rome neighbourhoods: Aurelio, Tuscolano, Pineta Sacchetti and Boccea. On one occasion, the use of a bungalow rented at a campsite was also documented. For deliveries, the group employed two modified utility vehicles fitted with a motorised false bottom, controllable via on-board controls, with a capacity of 8–10 kilogrammes of hashish. The same system concealed the money obtained from sales.
Each shipment was accompanied by a protection escort: a "clean" car followed the main vehicle with a dual function, that of lookout and decoy in case of police checks. Couriers also carried a navigation application that transmitted their position in real time and signalled the presence of suspected checkpoints. Movements were preferably made during daytime, based on the belief that it was easier to evade controls that way.
The organisation specialised in selling hashish in various low-cost European variants, guaranteeing attractive margins to end customers. Occasionally it also dealt in cocaine to expand its client base. The service included deliveries even in the event of a courier's arrest or for sporadic customer needs. The network reached municipalities distant from the capital, supplying drug dealing locations in central Italy and local and out-of-region dealers.
The inquiry involved a total of 22 suspects. The preliminary investigation judge ordered remand in custody in prison for eight people, including the three bosses of the organisation and five associates. A ninth subject was placed under house arrest and subsequently transferred to prison after the discovery of over one kilogramme of hashish. During searches, approximately €187,000 in cash was seized. All those arrested are suspected of association aimed at unlawful trafficking in narcotic substances.
Source: Google News IT — Crime (it)