Drugs: Gdf and Dda of Trieste seize 4.3 tons of cocaine

The Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Trieste Finance Police coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate at the Court of Trieste has seized 4.3 tons of cocaine and is carrying out precautionary measures against 38 people between Europe and Colombia.

Almost € 2 million in cash was also seized. 

There are 4,300 net kilograms of cocaine subjected to seizure, which is considered by investigators to be one of the most imported ever in Europe.

It is estimated that this amount of cocaine was paid for around 96 million euros by the criminal buyer groups.

On the Italian market, retail sales would have more than doubled the final value, reaching a price of at least 240 million euros.

During the operation, in addition to several vehicles, including a truck and an SUV worth over 100 thousand euros, 1.8 million euros in cash were also seized: financial and patrimonial resources stolen from the availability of fierce criminal organizations thanks to the work of the specialists of the Guardia di Finanza, who acted in close contact and in perfect unity of purpose with the judicial authority.

After the extradition to the United States of 'Otoniel', born Dario Antonio Usuga David, head of the feared and powerful criminal organization of the 'Clan del Golfo', the operation inflicts another blow to the most important group of Colombian narcos.

Since this morning, over 60 financiers have been carrying out a precautionary detention order in prison against 38 people in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Colombia, all accused of international drug trafficking.

The investigations, which continued for more than a year and began with the cooperation of the Colombian judiciary and police, with the US Homeland Security Investigations Agency, have rebuilt the dense network of relationships between South American cocaine producers and buyers in Italy and abroad. Europe, belonging to well-known organized crime contexts operating in Veneto, Lombardy, Lazio and Calabria.

Important brokers and wholesalers and various transport workers were identified, all subject to the restrictive measures.

'Undercover' agents were employed, who infiltrated the organization by pretending to manage the logistical part of the traffic.

The collection of evidence was made possible through 19 consecutive 'controlled deliveries', developed between May 2021 and May 2022, thanks to which important mediators in the world drug trafficking system and a large number of carriers operating in Italy and all over the world were identified. 'abroad.