Three arrests for drug-related offences in Piedimonte Matese were made following an order by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Santa Maria Capua Vetere , which ordered pre- trial detention for one and house arrest for two others.
Antonio Zerillo , a 37-year-old from Alife , ended up in prison . Luciana De Marco , 34, and Natalia Ciardiello , 42, were placed under house arrest .
Drugs in mailbox, three arrests
The investigative activity, started in August 2020, began with the discovery in a mailbox of 23 heat-sealed plastic packages containing crack cocaine , a ploy used by the suspects to hide the narcotics and thus evade possible checks by the police.
The investigations carried out allowed the perpetrators of the conduct to be identified and the flourishing drug dealing activity carried out by the individuals subjected to the coercive measure, operating mainly in Piedimonte Matese , Alife and Alvignano , to be revealed, and to acquire serious incriminating elements to document the individual sales of the substances.
During the operations, seizures of narcotics and sums of money from drug dealing activities were carried out and the numerous buyers who supplied themselves with cocaine and crack were identified , paying sums of between 20 and 25 euros for each dose.
At least 600 drug dealing incidents detected
For some of the buyers, irrefutable evidence was acquired to contest repeated daily sales, for over 600 drug dealing episodes.
Some of them made purchases with a frequency of two/three times a week and the reconstruction of the illicit conduct also allowed the issuing of a decree of preventive seizure of the sums of money available to the suspects corresponding to the profit of the contested crimes.
During the execution of the coercive measures, further doses of crack and hashish , an electronic scale, packaging material as well as 390 euros in cash and rechargeable postal cards were seized .
The arrested, to be considered innocent until a final conviction, were transferred to the Santa Maria Capua Vetere penitentiary and to their respective homes under house arrest.
