The State Police carried out, this night in the province of Foggia and in Lombardy, a precautionary custody order against 15 people, for 14 of whom prison detention was ordered and for one home detention, held responsible, at various title, of an association aimed at the international trafficking of narcotic substances, of possession for the purpose of the transfer of narcotic substances, as well as of illicit possession of firearms.
The investigation, coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate of Bari, constitutes an investigative line originating from the parent proceeding, called "Ultimo Outpost", with which, on 20 April 2019, the Mobile Squad of Foggia and the Central Operations Service of the Police of State, carried out a previous precautionary custody order in prison against 10 subjects who had set up a real joint venture dedicated to drug trafficking, made up of offenders from Foggia, Vieste and Manfredonians, which supplied a vast market with cocaine. Gargano up to Pescara.
Already in the previous investigation, the figure of a Moroccan citizen had emerged, legally residing in Italy and residing in the province of Foggia, who, together with two Cerignolan subjects, was engaged in supplying, wholesale, narcotic substances to criminal groups in the territory Manfredonian who in turn were selling it by the minute.
From the deepening of these relationships, a real criminal network has been revealed with ramifications not only in the province of Foggia, but also in the city of Milan, in Naples and abroad, in particular in Morocco and Spain.
From what was established, in fact, the Moroccan citizen ordered large quantities of hashish directly in Morocco, where the substance was most likely produced. The drug was first transported to Spain, before reaching Milan, where it was stored in another member of the association, also of Moroccan nationality and legally residing in Italy.
During the investigation, the trips that some members of the association made to Milan to test the drug illegally imported from abroad were documented. Once the shipment of drugs was satisfactory, it was sent to the province of Foggia where the narcotic substance was resold, in substantial quantities, to criminal exponents who then supplied the various drug dealing squares per minute.
The proceeding Judicial Authority has decided to recognize the aggravating circumstance of transnationality in the association aimed at drug trafficking, which more severely punishes the criminal conduct that occurs in more than one State.
The investigation led to the recording of sales for a total of about 640 kilograms of hashish-type drug worth about 4 million euros. A seizure of 105 kilograms of hashish was carried out against the Moroccan citizen residing in Foggia, the real promoter of the organization, with simultaneous arrest in the act of crime. In addition, 1,7 kilograms of marijuana were also seized during the activity.
The investigation has also made it possible to ascertain a negotiation for the purchase, on the Neapolitan clandestine market, of two revolver-type pistols. The policemen of the Flying Squad of Foggia, managed to intercept the sellers before they could make the delivery. On the occasion, in fact, two Neapolitan spouses were arrested, found in possession of the weapons, while they were transporting them aboard a car in which they were traveling together with their three children, all minors at the time.
The operation was attended by 200 policemen belonging to the Mobile Squads of Milan, Como and Monza Brianza, the Crime Prevention Department "Northern Puglia", the IX Flight Department of Bari, as well as the dog units of the Bari Police Headquarters.