A 200 euro business for fake marriages between migrants and Italians that guaranteed residence permits.
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An investigation by the Carabinieri of Caserta on behalf of the Naples prosecutor's office, has led in the provinces of Naples, Caserta, Bergamo and Milan to the execution of a precautionary custody measure by the Neapolitan investigating judge against 18 suspects, on various counts, for criminal association aimed at facilitating the illicit entry and undue permanence in Italian territory of clandestine and irregular foreigners.
The investigation, which began in July 2019, allowed the identification of a group that managed marriages of convenience between compliant Italians, who received money in exchange for their availability, and non-EU citizens, who were asked for between 5.000 and 6.500 euros in cash, who could then request the release of a residence permit.
The members of the group resided in the municipalities of Naples, Castel Volturno, Mondragone, San Cipriano d'Aversa and Avezzano. More than forty fictitious marriages were documented.
Temmy, the boss of immigrants, arrested
The fugitive status of Ghebremedhin Temesghen Ghebru, a 35-year-old Eritrean man who had been wanted internationally for over a year with a “red notice” for criminal association aimed at human trafficking and aiding illegal immigration, ends with the extradition to Italy.
The man, one of the leaders and promoters of a transnational association operating between Central Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan), the Maghreb countries (especially Libya), Italy and Northern Europe (England, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and Germany), aimed at facilitating illegal immigration and committing other serious crimes, organised the land route of migrants from the Central African countries towards Libya, to then continue the journey towards the coasts of the Mediterranean with the final destination of Northern Europe.
Ghebremedhin, known as Tenny or Temmy, was arrested at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport while trying to board a flight to Australia bound for Adelaide. The man was traveling on an Australian passport and there are other criminal branches of the organization in that country.
Since his arrest, a rapid resolution of the case has led to his extradition to Italy today. The investigation against him was coordinated by the deputy prosecutor Marzia Sabella and the deputy prosecutors Calogero Ferrara and Giorgia Righi of the Palermo Public Prosecutor's Office and conducted by the Palermo and Agrigento Mobile Squads and the Central Operations Service of the State Police. The subsequent investigative developments were carried out as part of an international cooperation project involving Dutch and English judicial and police authorities, the International Criminal Court and Europol.
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With regard to international coordination, the Service for International Police Cooperation should be noted, which since July, together with the “Human trafficking and smuggling of migrants” unit which deals with human trafficking within the General Secretariat of Interpol in Lyon, has been following his tracks in various countries around the world, in particular his movements between Australia and Ethiopia, until his exact location and provisional arrest through the Interpol National Central Bureau in Addis Ababa.
The identification and arrest of the man "not only represents a success for the activity of the SCIP and international police cooperation, coordinated by the Central Directorate of Criminal Police, but confirms the strategic importance of the search for fugitives in the African continent where individuals wanted by Italy for serious crimes are sheltering" reads a note. In this international operation, excellent relations have been maintained between the Italian and Ethiopian authorities, fostered by the Italian Embassy in Addis Ababa, which in synergy with the SCIP followed the necessary steps to obtain a rapid extradition of the fugitive.
Article published on 12 October 2022 - 07:40
