Italian Carabinieri dismantle international cocaine network, 11 suspects charged

In a coordinated operation spanning the provinces of Rome, L’Aquila, Reggio Calabria and Catania, the Carabinieri seized an extensive cocaine trafficking network that imported the drug from South America for distribution across Italy. Eight members were placed in preventive custody and three others remain under investigation, bringing the total number of suspects in this case to eleven.

Investigators traced the organisation’s headquarters to the northern Lazio coast and identified links with Colombian suppliers, a Dominican financial broker, a Roman distributor and a Calabrian operative who supplied modified vehicles with hidden compartments. The group used three main entry routes: maritime shipments from Guayaquil (Ecuador) dropped at sea and recovered via GPS‑tracked buoys, land smuggling through Spain using specially altered cars, and “ovulatori” couriers who swallowed cocaine‑filled capsules to evade airport checks.

The criminal enterprise operated with a corporate‑like structure, buying cocaine at €16‑17 k per kilogram and selling it for €21‑24 k. Code names such as “Biancaneve”, “Rosalba” and “Cotta/Cruda” were used in phone conversations. The network also received support from Ecuadorian gang Los Choneros and laundered proceeds through cryptocurrencies. Seizures included large quantities of precursors and equipment for clandestine processing, confirming the sophisticated scope of the operation.