The Financial Police of Rome, together with the Customs and Monopolies Agency of Civitavecchia, arrested two people – a Portuguese and an Italian – for international drug trafficking, after intercepting two loads of hashish and marijuana. The men, drivers of two articulated lorries coming from Barcelona, were trying to introduce the drugs into Italy.
The operation was carried out with the help of two drug-sniffing dogs, Ice and Jackpot, who discovered the drugs hidden among pallets of fruit and vegetables during routine checks on vehicles coming from Spain. The officers found numerous packages of marijuana and hundreds of blocks of hashish, for a total of 340 kilos of drugs. If these loads had reached the drug dealers, they could have generated revenues of over 3 million euros.
The interception of these shipments is a significant success in the fight against drug trafficking, thanks to the coordination between the Italian authorities and the effective use of resources, such as drug-sniffing dogs, to combat illegal activities linked to drug dealing.
The load of fresh fruit and vegetables, used to cover drug trafficking, was donated to various local voluntary associations on the recommendation of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. These associations will distribute food products to needy people in the area. This charitable initiative shows a focus on community well-being by making positive use of assets that were part of an illicit operation.
Meanwhile, the criminal case is still in the preliminary investigation stage, and the two suspects enjoy the presumption of not guilty until proven guilty. Their legal situation is pending, with further developments to be decided by the Italian judicial system.
The operations that led to the arrest of the two drivers and the confiscation of the drugs are part of a broader effort to combat illicit trafficking in Rome’s ports and airports. These actions are made possible by the effective collaboration between the Guardia di Finanza and the Customs and Monopolies Agency, recently strengthened by a Memorandum of Understanding.
This agreement establishes a basis for the joint work of the two institutionsallowing them to more efficiently tackle illegal activities at key entry points into the capital.
