Italian-Albanian drug trafficking ring dismantled: 16 arrests and 100 kg of drugs seized
Police have dismantled an Italian-Albanian organisation that supplied drugs to beach resorts on the upper Adriatic coast and various regions of northern Italy.
Italian-Albanian drug trafficking ring dismantled: 16 arrests and 100 kg of drugs seized
Italian police have ended the activities of an Italian-Albanian criminal organisation specialised in drug trafficking. The group supplied tourist resorts on the upper Adriatic coast and various areas of northern Italy during the summer months.
In the course of the operation coordinated by the Milan Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office and conducted by law enforcement in Trieste, 16 people were arrested. The investigation, which concerns a total of 35 individuals, led to the seizure of almost 100 kilogrammes of drugs. In addition to the narcotics, officers confiscated assets worth approximately 1.1 million euros, three pistols with serial numbers filed off, various knives, cash, luxury watches and a car modified for transporting narcotics.
According to reports from DiePresse.com, the criminal network supplied not only Lombardy, Liguria and Tuscany, but also renowned tourist destinations on the northern Adriatic coast such as Lignano Sabbiadoro, Bibione, Jesolo, Caorle, Grado and Sistiana. The substances were sold in the immediate vicinity of nightclubs, bars, beach establishments and accommodation facilities.
The investigation began after two alleged drug couriers were stopped during a check near Latisana. Subsequent investigations revealed a complex logistics system, with operational bases in various Lombard provinces and supply routes along the so-called Balkan route.
The investigators established that the organisation adopted strict security measures: it used encrypted communication platforms, frequently changed mobile phones, SIM cards and vehicles, and hid drugs in flats and garages registered to nominees. A marijuana plantation was also discovered in the province of Pavia.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)