An Operation Coordinated by the Carabinieri of Barletta-Andria-Trani Reveals Extensive Illicit Trafficking
In the early hours of yesterday morning, 13 people were arrested as part of an operation against drug and tobacco trafficking involving the port of Bisceglie. Among those arrested are four individuals taken to prison and nine placed under house arrest, including two women. The charges range from the sale, offer for sale, distribution and marketing of narcotics, to the importation, transportation and sale of foreign tobacco products.
Operation Recover
The operation, called Recoverbegan in June two years ago and allowed to dismantle a sophisticated illicit traffic managed by some local fishermen. These, using their boats, facilitated the importation of illegal goods. The investigations revealed that the criminal group operated with remarkable unscrupulousness, hiding drugs and cigarettes among the catch to evade controls.
The Arrested
The arrests were carried out by the Carabinieri of the provincial command of Barletta-Andria-Trani, with the support of specialized units such as the Puglia Carabinieri helicopter squadron, the sixth Carabinieri helicopter unit of Bari and the Modugno dog unit, in collaboration with the Carabinieri company of Desio. Among the four taken to prison are Diego Lorusso (35 years old, resident in the province of Monza and Brianza), Pietro Vallisa (44 years old, from Bisceglie), Francesco Sgroni (58 years old, from Bisceglie) and Adamo Zingarelli (from Bisceglie). Among those under house arrest, Antonietta Catanzaro (45 years old, from Bisceglie) and Sanita Karahasanovic (32 years old, of Bosnian origins) have been identified as crucial figures in evading controls.
The Words of Colonel Galasso
Colonel Massimiliano Galasso, provincial commander of the Barletta-Andria-Trani Carabinieri, described the group as “unscrupulous and unscrupulous,” motivated solely by financial gain. “They were willing to do anything, even pretend to be fishermen, to maximize profits,” Galasso said.
Illicit Trafficking
According to the investigations, the smugglers used small boats loaded with fish to disguise the cigarettes and drugs, indicating the illicit goods with cryptic terms such as “grouper” or “gilt-head bream”. The drugs arrived mainly from Turin, while the tobaccos traveled the Balkan route. The trafficking generated between 5,000 and 10,000 euros in revenue every day.
Kidnappings and Attempted Robberies
During the investigation, which concluded last February, over a ton of contraband cigarettes were seized, with a value of over three million euros. In an episode that highlights the group’s brazenness, the suspects attempted to recover the seized goods with an armed robbery.
Lieutenant Alessandro Rundo stressed how some members of the group, despite being detained, managed to direct operations from inside their cells, demonstrating the centrality of criminal trafficking to the fishing activity of Bisceglie. “The Navy of the city is not involved in the investigation,” Galasso reiterated, reassuring the local community.
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