
Italian police have arrested 12 people in the area of Livigno, Turin and Rimini, against a criminal group that was pouring large quantities of drugs into the tourist spot of Valtellina.
The Italian media write that the cocaine was sold in the newborn clinic and was ordered through a wanted person who belonged to the powerful Shkodra mafia.
6 of those arrested were left in prison, 5 under house arrest and one under mandatory stay. The arrested are of Albanian, Romanian, Italian and Dominican nationality.
They are accused of transporting and selling significant amounts of cocaine to local consumers and the many tourists drawn to the popular ski attraction.
About 40 people were identified as buyers of cocaine, not only for personal use, but also to resell it in this country.
According to the same sources, local distributors saw it as profitable to buy drugs from this group at 20,000 euros per kilogram.
3 thousand euros was received by a courier with Romanian documents, but of Albanian origin who was arrested by the Rimini team.
The drug was mixed by adding 4-5 times and for the same kilogram, 80-100 thousand euros were earned.
Based on the wiretapping, there is talk of close ties with the main exponents of the Albanian mafia.
Drugs were sold in cars in isolated areas, the wives of the suspects also took part in the transport and sale.
One has been subjected to house arrest, in order not to arouse suspicion and to avoid checks, these responsible persons transported and sold drugs in the presence of their children, minors and newborns.
Some of the suspects bragged on social media, holding guns and showing money.
Investigations began in April 2023 in Livigno, where several Albanian families, unsuspected but linked to a fugitive wanted for murder, belonging to a mafia clan from Shkodra (name not given) were involved in the cocaine trade.
The members of these Albanian families and the local and foreign drug traffickers who served them were found to be well integrated into the socio-economic structure of Livigno, as they practiced good and well-paid professions.
The supply of cocaine was organized by the 26-year-old Albanian fugitive, who, thanks to his network of relations closely connected with the Albanian mafia, managed to activate the cocaine supply channels branched in Italy and Europe.
From Shkodra, drugs went to Brussels and then to Turin. At the head of the criminal organization are two other Albanian persons: the 40-year-old uncle of the fugitive and another who carried out drug purchases.
The movement of narcotics was always carried out under the constant control of the Albanians.
The drug supply scheme was based on well-established criminal techniques and extreme caution in operations using coded language making it extremely difficult to intercept useful conversations and interpret them.
Upon arrival in Valtellina, the drug was taken by a 40-year-old Albanian, who had the task of transporting it to Livigno, weighing it, dividing it into doses and giving it to the distributors.
The activity was carried out with the constant mediation of another Albanian, a resident of Livigno, the fugitive's uncle.
In the last period, due to the winter tourist season, the amount of cocaine shipments had increased.
In the operation of December 3, 2023, which culminated in the red-handed arrest of two Albanians, it was possible to capture 1 kilogram of cocaine that would guarantee profits from 80 thousand to 100 thousand euros.
Investigators were on the trail of this drug shipment since the beginning of November when they intercepted a phone call thanks to which they had identified the location of the possible drug exchange in a parking lot in Tirana.
After arriving at the place, the buyers realized that the person with the white car mentioned in the call was not a member of the gang and that the call had not come from Tirana, but from Belgium.
The gang was not only distributing cocaine, but also hashish, at this point Albanians were not in charge, but a Moroccan./ TG.la7.it