Cocaine among the bananas: 10 convictions for the Campania drug network

Naples – A criminal organization that imported cocaine from Ecuador by hiding it among shipments of bananas has suffered a severe blow, with 10 bosses and their associates convicted.

The Court of Appeal of Naples has definitively sentenced 10 people involved in this international drug trafficking, managed by the boss in a wheelchair Bernardo Tamarisk, head of the Nardiello clan of Torre Annunziata.

The judges of the third section of the Court of Appeal of Naples, presided over by Mario Roberto Gaudio, granting a reduction in sentence compared to the first degree, have inflicted 18 years and 8 months of imprisonment on Giancarlo Autiero; 14 years of imprisonment on Igor Aleksic and Enrico Russo; 13 years and 3 months of imprisonment on Antonio Romano; 10 years of imprisonment on Giovanni Cortese, Alfonso De Maria; 6 years and 6 months of imprisonment on Alessandro La Mesa; 6 years of imprisonment on Alfonso Fiorente, of Aversa; 5 years of imprisonment on Sergio Romano; 6 years of imprisonment on Anna Iavarone.

The investigations, conducted by the Gico finance police in Naples, revealed a well-structured network involving several Campania and international clans. The drugs were shipped from South American ports, particularly Guayaquil, and landed in Salerno, where accomplices in charge of moving the goods extracted the cocaine from the containers.

The head of the organization, Bernardo Tamarisco, despite his physical limitations, coordinated operations from his hideout. Environmental interceptions allowed listening to his conversations with his accomplices, revealing the details of the negotiations and the names of the South American suppliers.

Discounts on appeal, but heavy sentences

The Court of Appeals partially overturned the first-instance verdict, granting sentence reductions to the defendants. However, the sentences remain heavy, with penalties ranging from 4 to 18 years and 8 months in prison. The leader of the organization, Bernardo Tamarisco, was sentenced to life in prison.

A millionaire business

The investigation revealed a millionaire business, which fueled the drug market in Campania and beyond. The criminal organization had relationships with other clans in Campania and Calabria, demonstrating an ability to penetrate different territories.

The role of bananas

Bananas have become the means to transport drugs into Italy, exploiting the complexity of food supply chains. This mode of transport, already used in the past, demonstrates how drug traffickers are always looking for new and ingenious solutions to evade controls.

A hard blow to drug trafficking

The sentences handed down by the Court of Appeal represent a severe blow to international drug trafficking. The operation conducted by law enforcement has allowed the dismantling of a dangerous criminal organization and the seizure of large quantities of cocaine.