REGGIO CALABRIA He talks about helicopter trips to Brazil where he went “to act as guarantor”, kilos of drugs hidden “in the keel of ships with divers”, confrontations in prison with the ‘Ndrangheta super boss Rocco Morabito, known as “Tamunga”, together which he was captured in 2021. It is a story that focuses on very specific episodes and in great detail that of Vincenzo Pasquino, considered “a branch in Brazil of the ‘Ndrangheta gang of the Nirta di San Luca”. The 33-year-old, former fugitive, and involved in the “Eureka” investigation into drug trafficking from South America to Europe, has decided to collaborate with justice by telling magistrates the details of a system developed by a transnational organization dedicated to money laundering, to drug and weapons trafficking throughout the world and on which the DDA of Reggio Calabria, Milan and Genoa worked, together with investigators from Germany, Belgium and Portugal.
The seized drugs and the comparison with the “Tamunga”
In the interrogation of 7 May 2024, the first report filed in the “Eureka” trial underway in Locri, Pasquino says that «in August 2017 (…) he asked me to find people for the recovery and sale of 200 kg of cocaine departing from Rio de Janeiro towards Gioia Tauro”. A detailed story but full of “omissions”. «I turned to the Nirta group – explains the former fugitive – because (…) he no longer had faith in the platiots. And in fact, shortly before (end of July/beginning of August 2017), the Guardia di Finanza had seized 50 kg of cocaine in Gioia Tauro departed from the port of Santos, and another 50 kg (maybe in May 2017) shipped and (…) to the platioti. Even before, in 2015 (after the operation “Pinocchio”), (…) they had sent, always to Gioia Tauro, 180 kg to the above mentioned platforms. (…) After about 6 months, (…) They said that the goods were not of good quality and, therefore, refused to pay for them. (…) In that same period I attended a meeting in a villa in Bovalino, together (…)On that occasion it was decided to send the aforementioned two loads of 50 kg to recover the loss of the previous 180 kg. In particular, (…) they would have exfiltrated and sold the 100 kg (50+50) without demanding anything”.
It is here that in Pasquino’s story reference is made to the super boss, king of world drug trafficking, the “Tamunga”. «I spoke about this story in the prison of Brasilia with Rocco Morabito (…) Rocco Morabito was amazed by the attitude of the platioti who had always behaved well towards himhaving successfully shipped tons of cocaine to him (Morabito).
Travels in Brazil «to act as guarantor»
«(…) – states Pasquino – after the two seizures of the 50 kg, he had completely lost faith in the platioti and so he asked me to turn to other people in Calabria for the exit of cocaine from the port of Gioia Tauro and for its subsequent sale”.
«At this point, – continues the former fugitive – we agreed to meet in Caulonia after 3/4 days (in a bar under the arcades). A person named (…) relative of (…) to whom I represented my need to import the 200 kg arriving from Rio de Janeiro. We agreed and I went to Brazil to act as guarantor. I left Zurich for Sao Paulo. Here some Brazilians who worked with us came to pick me up. (…) with a helicopter and they took me to Playa Grande. Here I found (…) who told me that he no longer wanted to do business with the Nirtas, having full confidence in the Pelle “Gambazza” and the Mammolitis. The 200 kg load, however, was seized by the Guardia di Finanza. At this point, – Pasquino says – I returned to Turin on October 3, 2017, passing through Frankfurt».
The “too flashy orange bags” and the seizure
«I must start by saying – says Pasquino – that when I left for Brazil in September 2017, the Nirtas, through a Chinese organization, gave me 140,000.00 Euros because they also wanted to invest in a shipment and not limit themselves to selling the cocaine of the Brazilians”. Pasquino goes to Brazil “to ascertain the status of the deal”. «I left in January 2018 because again (…) he hadn’t sent anything. Once we arrived in Brazil, we organized with (…) sending 50 kg which we hid in the keel of the ships with divers. However, the cargo was seized in Santos by the Federal Police in January 2018. The Nirtas blamed (…) of having been imprudent, having learned that the divers had used orange bags that were too conspicuous”. (m.r.)
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