Dismantled a network of drug dealers operating in the city and its surroundings
The State Police of Cosenza, in the early hours of today, at the disposal of the local Public Prosecutor's Office, carried out 20 orders of precautionary measures (5 in prison, 10 under house arrest and 5 with the obligation to present themselves to the PG) against as many under investigation, held responsible, for various reasons, for crimes of detention for the purpose of drug dealing, such as Cocaine, Hashish and Marijuana, extortion as a result of drug dealing and illegal possession of weapons.
The operation, conventionally called "Pressing", is the epilogue of an intense investigative activity carried out by the Cosenza Mobile Squad, which has allowed the crystallization of a widespread operation of the suspects who, in a period of about 12 months, have put in place a systematic sale of narcotics in the city and its hinterland. The continuity and constancy in drug dealing activities, for the total of 30 suspects, clearly emerge from 200 charges formulated by the Public Prosecutor's Office and ascertained as true by the GIP.
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The investigations, however, made it possible to identify several drug dealing squares in Cosenza, between Via Popilia, the historic center and the bus station, some characterized by a high crime density and others frequented by young people and non-EU citizens. They also made it possible to establish that the suspects, organized in a network, were ready, when necessary, to supply each other with drugs in order to satisfy the demands of their widely diversified "clients" from different social backgrounds.
The ability of some suspects to implement their own intimidating force in order to recover credits deriving from the transfer of drugs has emerged clearly and has even degenerated, on some occasions, into violent physical assaults. The repercussions of this extortion activity have sometimes involved even the family members of the contractors, forced to suffer, in addition to the drama of their relative's state of drug addiction, also that of the fear of serious consequences deriving from the threats addressed to them.
The dangerousness of some suspects was also circumstantiated by the ascertained possession and illegal carrying of weapons.
Some of the suspects, despite being under house arrest, continued the drug dealing activity also making use of the contribution of members of the relative family nucleus who, if necessary, became precious collaborators in drug sales and debt collection.
During the investigative activities, in response to the investigative evidence, and to demonstrate the ability of the suspects to have access to different types and quantities of drugs, several arrests and seizures were made equal to over 8 kilograms of marijuana, 200 grams of cocaine, 1,5 kilograms of hashish and various heroin.
During the execution, other drugs and weighing materials were seized.
For the execution of the precautionary measures, around 150 operators were employed, as well as from the Cosenza Flying Squad, also from the detached police stations of Corigliano-Rossano, Paola and Castrovillari as well as from the Crime Prevention Departments of Cosenza, Vibo Valentia and Siderno, from the dog units of the Vibo Valentia Police Headquarters and, finally, the Flight Department of Reggio Calabria.
The activity of the Judicial Police that has just ended constitutes yet another evidence and the result of the particular attention of the Prosecutor of Cosenza, directed by Dr. Mario Spagnuolo, and of the Police Chief Michele Spina, to the recrudescent phenomenon of drug dealing in the city .
Everything is communicated in compliance with the rights of the suspects (to be considered presumed innocent in consideration of the current phase of the proceeding up to a definitive finding of guilt with an irrevocable sentence) in order to guarantee the right to report.