The State Police of Sondrio, as part of an investigation directed by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Sondrio, implemented 21 precautionary measures (15 precautionary custody in prison and 6 precautionary measures of house arrest) against subjects of Italian nationality and Moroccan, held responsible for crimes of illicit possession, transport and sale of narcotic substances.
The execution of the measures took place at the same time in various regions of Italy with the collaboration of the Border Police Sector of Tirano and the Mobile Squads of Sondrio, Milan, Verona, Bergamo, Varese, Pavia, Sassari and Syracuse. During the investigative activity, 4 subjects were arrested red-handed and approximately 2 kg of narcotic substances, including heroin, cocaine and hashish, were seized.
The phenomenon of so-called drug dealing in the woods has become worrying over the years, due to its extension in the Valtellina area, particularly in the lower valley, and due to the difficulties in investigating it due to the foresight of those responsible favored by the characteristics of the places in which it is carried out.
The investigation, which began in March 2023, had the precise objective of attacking this phenomenon at its foundations, reconstructing the supply channels and those responsible, and then also identifying and arresting the perpetrators of individual retail dealing activities.
For this reason, numerous and long observation services of the drug dealing locations were carefully planned and implemented, combined with repeated shadowing services of the suspects who gravitated to various areas of Lombardy.
The stalking and observation activity, together with the wiretaps, which are very difficult due to the constant changes in the accounts, always registered to fictitious subjects, have made it possible to understand the criminal and personal habits of the suspects, penetrate the illicit system and reconstruct the systematic drug dealing activity of narcotic substances carried out in the woods of Valtellina, in particular in the areas of Caiolo, Postalesio and Bema.
These places were divided into well-defined areas by two drug dealing groups (Bema group and Caiolo group), well coordinated with each other. The investigation has in fact highlighted the links between the two drug dealing groups which, to increase turnover or satisfy mutual needs, guaranteed mutual assistance, even supplying each other with narcotics if one of the two groups was left without .
Also thanks to patient shadowing, numerous Bema-Caiolo and Caiolo-Bema journeys were observed and reconstructed, organized and carried out through the competition of drivers found from time to time depending on availability. As well as ascertaining that, on numerous occasions, the Bema and Caiolo drug dealers left Milan together and arrived together in Valtellina, using the same carriers.
The investigation also made it possible to identify a series of individuals who, in various capacities, facilitated drug dealing, thus contributing to the illicit activity.
First of all, the so-called "carriers", paid to carry out this task, that is, those who on various occasions accompanied the drug dealers from Milan to Valtellina, reaching the places designated for retail dealing, the storage and concealment of drugs, money and tools or accessories useful for drug dealing activities. For carrying out this task, the carriers received compensation in money or narcotic substances.
Furthermore, several subjects have been identified who have carried out assistance work, with various methods and conduct, to the drug dealing and to the Moroccan drug dealers: providing shelter to the suspects in cases of bad weather, bringing cutting substances for the narcotic into the woods, delivering to the dealers of all kinds of food (e.g. pizza, kebab, beer, champagne etc.).
These are conscious contributions, essential to the drug dealing activity, which were guaranteed by subjects in most cases from Valtellina, with profound knowledge of the territory and with easy and immediate availability of means and resources to be made available to the Moroccan drug dealers, on condition to receive from them, in exchange, payments in money or narcotic substances.
The investigation, directed by the Sondrio Prosecutor's Office and carried out with patience and high professionalism by the local Flying Squad, was concluded at the beginning of the summer of this year, with the formulation of a detailed request for a precautionary measure by the Prosecutor's Office , fully accepted by the judge of preliminary investigations of the Court of Sondrio.
The execution of the 21 precautionary measures and the overall operation involved the territories of various provinces in northern and southern Italy. Cash, weapons and narcotic substances (cocaine, heroin and hashish) were seized, all available to drug dealers. Furthermore, during the implementation phase of the measures, 3 individuals were arrested flagrantly (of which 2 were not subject to precautionary measures) for possession for the purpose of dealing drugs. At the end of the ritual formalities, the captured were taken to various prisons, at the disposal of the judicial authorities.
Further details will be provided during the press conference to be held at 11:00 am at the Police Headquarters.