FLASH NEWS
EUROPOL operation in Italy, 28 associates of the "Ndrangheta" arrested! The role of the Albanian group and the torture of a drug trafficker are revealed
2025-07-09 09:28:29 / AKTUALITET
An international operation coordinated by Europol has led to the arrest of 28 people suspected of being part of a powerful criminal network linked to the Italian mafia "Ndrangheta", including Albanian citizens.
Among those arrested is an Italian citizen from Calabria, suspected of being the organizer of the cocaine trafficking network in the San Basilio area of Rome, along with his three sons.
Investigations have revealed the close cooperation of this group with an Albanian criminal organization, which played a key role in the logistics of international drug trafficking.
According to EUROPOL, Albanians are suspected of being responsible for removing the cargo from ports in Spain and the Netherlands, as well as transporting it to Italy, where the narcotics were distributed to various cities, including the Italian capital.
According to authorities, the criminal group has trafficked at least 1 ton of cocaine and around 1.5 tons of hashish in 80 documented episodes, while investigations reveal the use of extreme violence to maintain control within the organization.
One of the most shocking cases involves the kidnapping and torture of a drug trafficker by four members of the Italian mafia. The torture was filmed on a phone and the video was distributed within the group to instill fear and submission.
The investigation has also uncovered the use of sophisticated encrypted communication methods, enabled by equipment distributed by an Albanian criminal services provider, who was also arrested during the operation.
Europol has supported Italian law enforcement in dealing a major blow to the 'Ndrangheta criminal organization. On 8 July 2025, a joint operation was carried out across Italy, Spain and Albania, with special intervention teams arresting 28 suspected criminals of Italian and Albanian nationality.
Among the detained individuals is an Italian citizen from the Calabria region suspected of setting up a criminal structure for cocaine trafficking in the San Basilio area of Rome.
This individual, along with his three sons, is suspected of collaborating closely with an Albanian criminal group, which dealt with some of the logistical aspects of the drug trafficking trade.
Albanian members of this network are suspected of organizing the extraction of cargoes from various Spanish and Dutch ports, as well as the subsequent transport to Italy. In addition, they were responsible for the sale of drugs in other parts of Rome.
Investigations show that the cocaine sold in Italy was purchased in South America and transported in containers to ports across Europe. The transport from the port of Gioia Tauro in Calabria to Rome was allegedly facilitated by Calabrian criminal intermediaries.
Torture as a tool to instill fear within the criminal organization
The arrested individuals are suspected of trafficking at least 1,019 kilograms of cocaine and 1,497 kilograms of hashish in 80 trafficking operations. Prosecutors suspect that four Italian individuals kidnapped a drug trafficker, causing him physical and psychological harm – an example of serious violence linked to the 'Ndrangheta criminal organization.
The torture was filmed with a mobile phone, and the video was then spread with the aim of instilling fear, silence and submission among members of the criminal group based in Rome.
This complex investigation also revealed the sophisticated communication methods used to exchange information within the criminal organization. To avoid detection by authorities, its members relied on encrypted messages via devices distributed by an Albanian criminal service provider, who was also arrested on July 8.
Europol support and international cooperation
On the day of the operation, a Europol expert with a mobile office was sent to Italy to cross-check the information with Europol databases. Europol provided financial analytical support and facilitated the exchange of information between Italian and Spanish authorities, leading to five arrests in Spain during the investigation, prior to the day of the operation.
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