Uruguayan arrested in Genoa with 128 kg of cocaine hidden in port truck
A 32-year-old Uruguayan citizen was arrested at the port of Genoa alongside three Italians for a shipment of 128 kg of cocaine. The judge ordered preventive detention for all four.
Uruguayan arrested in Italy for cocaine shipment at Genoa port
According to telenoche.com.uy, Eros Nicola Castellan Airaldo, a 32-year-old Uruguayan citizen, was detained in Genoa along with three Italian citizens for his alleged involvement with a shipment of 128 kilograms of cocaine found at the port of Prá.
The drug was hidden in a concealed compartment of a truck parked in the port facility. The four accused appeared before investigating judge Angela Maria Nutini, who ordered preventive detention for all of them.
The Uruguayan's account before the judge
Castellan Airaldo acknowledged to the magistrate that his role was to supervise part of the operations to remove the goods from the container, though he denied being the owner of the drug and claimed he had not participated directly in the unloading.
According to his statement, he received a call in Uruguay approximately one week before travelling to Italy. The contact was reportedly a man he had met in prison, who had been murdered a few days before his arrest. Instructions for the work were given to him once he arrived on Italian soil.
The Uruguayan claimed he was promised around 10,000 dollars for the task, although he said he had not received that sum. He also declared that on the day of his detention a young Italian man drove him by car to the container, where he found another man who was beginning to dismantle parts with tools. He denied helping to unload the drug and said he did not know the other people involved.
The three other detainees
The Italians arrested are Domenico Gurrieri, 39 years old; Michele Crigna, 33; and Vincenzo Maccarone, 54. Gurrieri, owner of a transport company, rejected any responsibility and stated that he had come to the port solely to inspect a truck and check for possible problems with the trailer's brakes.
Link to international drug trafficking
Judge Nutini considered that the four detainees have links to organised crime. Given the quantity and value of the seized cocaine, the magistrate noted that the case could be related to a broader international drug trafficking operation.
Source: Google News UY — Crime