Italian Trento Court Hands Down 27 Convictions and €27 Million Seizure in International Drug‑Money‑Laundering Case

The Ordinary Court of Trento sentenced 27 defendants for association to commit crimes, drug‑trade related money laundering and self‑laundering, imposing a total custodial term of 86 years, 11 months and 10 days. The judgment also ordered the confiscation of €27.4 million, the estimated profit of the illicit operation.

The investigation, launched in 2019, was coordinated by the Trento public prosecutor’s office together with the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian Antimafia Directorate, EUROJUST and EUROPOL. Judicial requests were sent to authorities in 27 foreign states, including the United States, France, Germany, Spain and Colombia, to trace the transnational financial network that used shell companies, compliant intermediaries and complex foreign accounts.

The court’s decisions are preliminary and can still be appealed. Prosecutor Davide Ognibene highlighted the asset seizure as a decisive blow against the financial foundations of the drug‑trafficking clans involved.