Italy dismantles criminal ring selling drugs, stealing in luxury apartments

By Giovanni Legorano

ROME (AA) – Italy’s anti-mafia authorities have dismantled a criminal ring suspected of links with Albanian drug smugglers and of having carried out a series of thefts in luxury homes, Italy’s national anti-mafia prosecutor’s office said Wednesday.

Authorities said they arrested eight people – five Albanian nationals, one North Macedonian and two Italians – after an investigation which began in November 2019.

The probe focused on the drug trafficking trade on the route between Albania and the southern Italian region of Puglia, prosecutors said.

Authorities found the arrested people had sold large quantities of cocaine and marijuana in Italy, part of which was smuggled from Albania. They also found they were running a marijuana plantation in a natural reserve area near Rome.

The investigation also found that the alleged criminals had carried out numerous thefts in Italian luxury homes, especially in Rome, stealing very valuable items such as luxury watches, precious objects, and gold bars.

Authorities seized quantities of gold and silver, likely ready to be sold on the black market, more than a kilogram of cocaine and marijuana, and €15,000 ($15,800) in cash.