Catania police operation arrests 22 suspected mafia‑linked drug traffickers

The Polizia di Stato, acting on a court order issued on 3 July 2026, placed 22 individuals in pre‑trial detention in Catania. Prosecutors allege the suspects belong to an organised criminal group linked to the Cappello‑Bonaccorsi clan and involved in armed drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, personal injuries and threats, all aggravated by the use of mafia methods. Investigations identified the group’s operational bases in the Villaggio Sant’Agata area and the districts of Librino and San Cristoforo, where multiple drug‑selling points were run. The inquiry stems from a 2022 shooting outside the night club “Ecs Dogana” and subsequent armed clashes in 2023 between rival factions of the same organisation. Authorities also uncovered a scheme to smuggle narcotics, mobile phones and SIM cards into Sicilian prisons, allegedly using drones, and identified a Catania lawyer and a medical director as participants in the scheme. The operation marks a major crackdown on a youth‑led mafia‑affiliated network in the province of Catania.