
"Bring me 10 euros for shopping?", these are the conversations that took place between the members of the criminal group that was destroyed during the pandemic period in Italy.
The cocaine was ordered through text messages and delivered to customers' homes. This allowed the cocaine business to flourish during the pandemic, as road checks were eliminated and citizens moved with permits.
Now "this business" has been dismantled. The mobile team, coordinated by the prosecutor Roberto Ceroni, by order of the judge for the preliminary investigations Maria Cristina Sarli, has arrested twelve people in the last days, seven Albanians, four Tunisians and one Algerian, all men from 32 to 52 years old.
Ten of them are in prison, while two others were ordered to appear, more specifically for an Albanian, 39 years old, and a Tunisian, 40 years old.
They are accused of drug trafficking; There are more than a hundred controversial episodes, including kidnappings. All episodes featuring cast members took place between February and July 2020.
The main reference for the general supply would be the 47-year-old Albanian with the initials AG, defended by the lawyer Matteo Murgo.
According to the judge, he was the 'head' of the narcotics distribution network, mainly cocaine and heroin. He constantly received new shipments, repackaged them, and personally made deliveries to a small circle of trusted distributors.
This was a kind of drug taxi service. In many cases, he made the delivery by bicycle, thus eliminating attracting the attention of the authorities.
In his house, at the time of his arrest, devices were found to identify GPS microchips or environmental eavesdroppers, to avoid eavesdropping. However, the interceptions, despite the measures taken by the Albanian, were carried out and made it possible to seize significant quantities of drugs.
The inclusion of investigators in the Encrochat encrypted communication system was also decisive. The cocaine, it was revealed, was being shipped to Italy by an unidentified drug dealer based in Albania, called 'Pelo'. In total, 4 kg of cocaine and heroin were seized, as well as 19,000 euros, hidden in the garage of the 47-year-old Albanian's apartment.