A large cocaine trafficking ring has been dismantled in the Verona area, near Lake Garda, in the past few hours. The Carabinieri intervened at a well-known seafood restaurant in San Pietro in Cariano, where the sale of the substance was allegedly organized.
Thirteen precautionary measures were executed for drug possession with intent to distribute. Ten people are under house arrest, while three have been placed in prison. The entire operation is estimated to have generated around half a million euros.
The investigations began two years ago, following the arrest of a man in Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella who was found in possession of two firearms, one of which had a scratched-off serial number. From that moment, the investigative activities focused on the restaurant, which has now been seized, and which allegedly became the epicenter of the drug trafficking. The owner of the establishment, Christian Placonà, has been arrested.
According to the military’s investigations, it was the restaurant’s employees themselves who were selling pre-packaged doses. Additionally, extortion methods used to collect money from insolvent customers were uncovered.
The operation led to the arrest of two Albanians residing in Volta Mantovana and Pozzolengo: Elvis Mema and Koledio Melaca. During the searches, several weapons and approximately 12,000 euros in cash were seized.
Italian Version