Livorno, the Carabinieri dismantle a gang dedicated to drug trafficking

Livorno, the Carabinieri dismantle a gang dedicated to drug trafficking

Nine people taken to prison, one under house arrest and five orders prohibiting them from residing in the municipality of Livorno. This is the outcome of the operation by the Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Livorno following the investigation called Mexal who reconstructed a network of trafficking, importation and dealing of various types of narcotic substances. Cocaine, heroin, hashish, methadone, mescaline and kratom are the imported substancesThree of the defendants were also charged with the aggravating circumstance of large quantities, having, during the investigations, discovered the importation and supply of tens of kilograms of drugs.

The operation was carried out on the orders of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Livorno and also involved the territorially competent Carabinieri departments, the 4th NEC of Pisa, the Dog Unit of Florence and an SOS unit of the 6th CC Battalion “Tuscany”, which executed the order in the provinces of Livorno, Pisa and Siena. The 15 subjects are 6 Italians and 9 non-EU citizens.

The investigation started with the seizure of two kilos of mescaline in France

The investigation started after the seizure carried out in France on 25 May 2023 of a package coming from Peru containing two kilos of “Mescaline” destined for a woman from Rosignano Marittimo (LI) and developed by the Investigative Unit employee from October 2023 to April 2024, was conducted using various investigative contributions, the result of technical and dynamic activities, corroborated by numerous findings with the seizure of significant quantities of narcotics.

The entire operation was carried out through OCP services, telephone, telematic and environmental interceptions, as well as by making use of the collaboration of foreign police forces (French, Peruvian, Spanish, Czech and Tunisian), involved with the coordination of the DCSA. In particular, the activity allowed to acquire serious evidence of guilt against the recipients of the measure, all aged between 26 and 67, who have demonstrated a particular inclination to commit crime, persisting in criminal conduct, carried out in an organised and therefore very alarming manner, revealing the existence of a widespread and significant trafficking of various types of narcotic substances (cocaine, hashish, mescaline, methadone and kratom).

The wiretaps: cocaine was “white grapes”, heroin “black grapes”

According to the investigative reconstruction, the suspects ran a thriving cocaine, hashish, heroin and methadone dealing business in the centre of Livorno, in the wooded areas of Piombino, in the provinces of Pisa and La Spezia as well as in Castiglione della Pescaia (GR). A criminal group from Livorno, composed of Italians and North Africans, well-established in the drug trafficking environment, including internationally, by virtue of a consolidated relationship with various suppliers identified in Spain and the Ravenna area, was dismantled. The dealing, in particular, took place mainly through transfer by telephone appointment, through cryptic language, as well as through “notes” used to avoid conversations being intercepted, allowing, in the observation period, to reach a turnover of approximately 150 thousand euros.

In particular, the terms used were “aperitif” or “fruit” to generically indicate the narcotic or more specifically “white grapes” for cocaine, “black grapes” for heroin, “plastic” or “glass” for methadonedepending on the type of packaging. There has also been feedback on the drug from users with the words “rotten fruit” to indicate a poor quality supply.

Other indications referred to the image on the blocks: when the suspects spoke of “game” or “Mario” they were referring to a batch of hashish on which the image of a well-known video game was depicted.

The 38-Year-Old Entrepreneur Who Stocked Up On Mescaline And Kratom In Peru

At the same time, the specific illicit activity of one of the main suspects, a well-known entrepreneur, was reconstructed. 38 year old from the food sector of Castiglioncello who, on several occasions, sourced mescaline and kratom from South America (Peru)respectively through purchases via cryptocurrencies on the darkweb/Telegram and through trips made personally.

During the investigations, from the checks carried out by the Investigative Unit with the collaboration of the DCSA, it was ascertained that the suspect from Rosignano, in addition to the shipment seized in France containing mescaline, received two further international shipments from the same sender, in particular on 25 March 2023 a 3.5 kg package and on 11 May 2023 a 2.2 kg package.

As further confirmation of the repeated conduct of importing psychotropic drugs such as mescaline and kratom, the Carabinieri ascertained that the 38-year-old, on 12 December 2023 and 31 January 2024, attempted to import, following trips to South America, 80 grams of mescaline and 100 grams of powdered kratom in his luggage; The substances had been hidden among extracts of other herbs and plants in an attempt to evade drug-sniffing dog checks.