Italian police seize cocaine, arrest Albanian and Italian suspects in Verona

Italian police operating in San Bonifacio stopped a small car and discovered 2 kg of cocaine, arresting a 58‑year‑old Italian man and a 33‑year‑old Albanian who were suspected of drug possession for distribution. A subsequent search of the Italian suspect’s home seized about €37,000 in cash, and both men were placed in pre‑trial detention at the Montorio prison.

In a related crackdown on the same criminal network, a court in Brescia sentenced 15 members of the “Çela” clan to a combined 100 years in prison. Among those convicted were two brothers from Elbasan, Albania, who received a total of 29 years for their roles in a cocaine‑trafficking operation that moved large quantities—up to 250 kg seized in Verona in November 2021—through ports in Belgium and the Netherlands, with links to suppliers in Colombia and Ecuador and transit through the United Arab Emirates. The court also handed an eight‑year sentence to Genti Berisha for the killing of a police officer during a 2022 vehicle stop. The convictions underscore the cross‑border nature of the drug trade involving Albanian groups and Italian organized crime.