Drug trafficking worth 80 million euros: 40 convicted for two criminal networks in Brescia province
Two organisations dismantled between Brescia and Calabria moved over 2,000 kilos of cocaine in two years. Prison sentences totalling over 290 years.
Anti-drug operation in Brescia province
According to giornaledibrescia.it, judges at the Brescia and Reggio Calabria courts have sentenced around 40 defendants to a total of over 290 years' imprisonment for the activities of two separate criminal organisations dismantled approximately a year and a half after the Polizia Mobile's "Twistlock" operation, conducted by the Brescia District Anti-Mafia Directorate.
During the investigation, 19 people were arrested in flagrante delicto. Seizures included 135 kilograms of cocaine, 90 of hashish and 3 of marijuana, as well as two .45 calibre revolvers with defaced serial numbers found at Villa Carcina. Forty kilos of white powder were concealed in a milk tanker destined for Roncadelle; fifty kilos of hashish were found in a warehouse at Roncadelle; the majority of the drugs came from a depot identified at Gussago.
The first network: imports from Colombia and Morocco
The first group operated through direct imports from producing countries, principally cocaine from Colombia and hashish from Morocco. At the head was Dario Bovegno, 57, accused of coordinating shipments from the ports of Antwerp to Gussago and managing financing. Bovegno was sentenced in abbreviated proceedings at Brescia to 8 years' imprisonment. His Colombian partner, Maryis Paola Perez Salcedo (40), received a sentence of 4 years and 9 months.
Mouhcine El Janati, a Moroccan, also played a central role, sentenced to 10 years and 8 months. He worked alongside two brothers; Abdelhak received 5 years and 4 months. Other abbreviated proceedings sentences at Brescia were imposed on Younes Asmoune (4 years and 8 months), Laura Averoldi (2 years and 10 months), Skerdi Bocoi (3 years and 1 month), Gilberto Bolpagni (3 years and 2 months), Fabiano and Stefano Brandani (4 years and 6 months each), Rino Decaminada (5 years and 7 months), Reda El Farrai (3 years), Hamza Farrie (5 years and 10 months), Fatjon Musaku (1 year and 4 months), Simone Paolisso (9 years and 4 months), Enrico Recenti (5 years and 5 months) and Vincenzo Vivaldini (2 years).
The second network: the 'ndrangheta connection
The second organisation was composed of criminals from San Luca in Calabria, some connected to figures embedded in 'ndrangheta contexts also through kinship ties. The group had a network of contacts with prominent members of Cosa Nostra, Stidda, Camorra and Sacra Corona Unita, as well as numerous couriers, enabling distribution across the national territory.
Francesco Giorgi, described as "above suspicion" and unknown to law enforcement, operated from his home in Gussago and coordinated the receipt of large cocaine supplies, entrusting them to complicit haulage companies for direct delivery to criminal organisations in southern Italy.
The heaviest sentences came from the Reggio Calabria investigating magistrate. Antonio Callipari, considered one of the organisation's most important and dangerous figures, and Antonio Pipicella both received 20 years' imprisonment. Francesco Giorgi was sentenced to 18 years, Annibale Torchia to 16 years and 4 months, Gennaro Frontoso to 16 years, Giovanni Pizzata to 14 years and 8 months, Antonio Santuoso to 12 years and 2 months, Antonio Maisto to 10 years and 8 months, Pietro Capraro to 9 years and 4 months, Renato Audino to 7 years and 4 months, Annunziata Imbiscuso to 7 years, Jorge Andreas Henao Acevedo to 6 years and 8 months, Gennaro Gargarelli to 6 years, Antonio Romeo to 6 years and 4 months and Salvatore Romeo to 4 years.
Volumes: over 2,000 kilos in two years
Overall, the two groups moved over 2,000 kilograms of cocaine, 1,500 of hashish and 700 of marijuana through Gussago. The total turnover, during the approximately two-year observation period by police, stood at around 80 million euros.
At Brescia, for the second organisation, Giorgi and Callipari were further sentenced to 7 years and 6 months and Salvatore Romeo to 2 years and 9 months. The investigating magistrate at the Brescia court on Via Lattanzio Gambara imposed additional sentences on Maid Becirovic (1 year and 8 months), Domenico Pangallo (4 years and 8 months), Luigi Pollonini (2 years and 10 months), Gjon Prela (1 year and 9 months), Giuseppe Romeo (2 years and 8 months) and Angelo Vivenzi (2 years and 1 month).
Source: Google News IT — Crime (it)