CATANZARO – A new maxi anti-drug operation has led to the arrest of over 100 people. The blitz with Operation Recovery saw operations jointly the Carabinieri of Cosenza, the State Police and the Financial Police coordinated by the Catanzaro prosecutor, Vincenzo Capomolla. The Prosecutor spoke of an operation born as a natural development of Reset, speaking of a confederation of ‘Ndrangheta operating in Cosenza, in the hinterland and in various areas of the territory. The subjects who ended up in the Reset investigation continued their criminal activity and a whole series of extortionate conduct which continued to asphyxiate the economic activities of the area: both the owners of commercial activities and businesses
Capomolla “drug monopoly in the Cosenza area”
Capomolla then spoke about drugs, explaining that the organization “had a monopoly in the Cosenza areaa system controlled by the criminal group. Only authorized individuals could deal with it and the vertice authorizes a series of articulations that move across even marginal areas of the territory with consolidated supply channels from the Reggino area, both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian sides and in fact some measures were carried out in the province of Reggio. An activity that is part of an organized and controlled area in the province of Cosenza”.
Recovery Operation “Drugs from Reggio suppliers”
“L’heroin came from suppliers from Reggino, from Africo Nuovo, but in the Cosentino area the clan, which according to investigators was managed by Francesco Patitucci, cocaine, hashish and marijuana also arrived. Patitucci is defined as “dileader, promoter, organizer and financier of the association, in his main capacity reference of the ‘Ndrangheta confederation operating in Cosenza and the surrounding territories“, and according to the accusations made by the DDA of Catanzaro, he led and directed the drug trafficking activity as the top of the so-called “Italians” group.
“A capillary control – highlights the prosecutor again – from supplies to relationships with representatives of other clans, aided by those identified as the main representatives, Michele Di Puppo, Mario Piromallo, Roberto Porcaro, Salvatore Ariello and Antonio Illuminato. It would have been Patitucci who divided the drug dealing areas and decided who should collect the money for the business.
Patitucci and his trusted men chose the supply channels
Patitucci together with his ‘trusted men’ would have chosen “i drug supply channels, purchased large batches of drugs to be sent to the Cosenza market, thus presiding over the ccontrol of significant drug dealing areas, therefore maintaining, directly and/or through other associates, the management of the progress of the retail drug dealing activity, on debt collection activities from various pushers, on mediation activities to resolve disputes within groups or also with representatives of other criminal cliques”. The investigation, as mentioned, hsome alleged members of the so-called Gypsy clan were also hit, active in Sibaritide, considered suppliers of “cocaine”.
Colonel Spoto «constant investigative attention»
For the provincial commander of the Carabinieri of Cosenza Agatino Saverio Spoto, the collaboration between the police forces was important and fruitful «this ensures that the attention on Cosenza, to undermine the confederate and coordinated groups, must always be high. All the proceeds from drug trafficking were “poured” into a single basin and then reinvested”
«dense and pressing organization»
The Police Commissioner of Cosenza, Giuseppe Cannizzaro, was also present in the press conference at the prosecutor’s office in Catanzaro and spoke about a dense and pressing organization operating throughout the territory and for this reason, thanks to today’s operation «there is a lot of satisfaction for the result resulting from a great synergy. Let’s look in perspective, we won’t stop to give even more confidence to those who have seen the State’s response, so that they can continue to turn to us.” The provincial commander of the Guardia di Finanza of Cosenza Giuseppe Dell’Anna spoke of a city, Cosenza « which it is not free from organized crime. It’s not a happy island. Maybe there is a more subtle pressure but it is still there.
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