The infamous Colombian Gulf Clan supplied drugs to the Continis and the Orlando-Polverino-Nuvolettas

A widespread criminal organization, with ties to the Italian mafia and an international drug trafficking network that started in South America and reached all of Italy.

This is the scenario that emerged from the investigations of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) of Brescia , which led to the arrest of 45 people and the registration of 85 individuals in the register of suspects , dismantling two groups active in the trafficking of cocaine, hashish and marijuana.

Two criminal groups and the role of Gussago

The investigations identified two distinct criminal groups. The first, based in the province of Brescia, specialized in the direct importation of drugs from producing countries. The cocaine came from Colombia , thanks to the contacts of a woman linked to the Gulf Clan , while the hashish arrived from Morocco , transiting through Spain.

The second group, based in Gussago , operated as a logistics hub for drug distribution in Italy. It included individuals linked to the Nirta and Strangio di San Luca 'Ndrangheta families, along with members of the Albanian criminal community. This syndicate had direct contacts with the main Italian mafia organizations, including Cosa Nostra, Camorra, Stidda, and Sacra Corona Unita , which managed drug distribution in their respective areas of influence.

Drugs and kidnappings

The operations of the State Police , started in 2022, led to the seizure of large quantities of drugs:

• 135kg of cocaine

• 90 kg of hashish

• 3 kg of marijuana

• 2.000 kg of cocaine and 1.500 kg of hashish identified in the overall investigations

The drugs were transported by sea and road , often hidden in unsuspecting places such as cars, homes, milk tanks and even in a quarry in the province of Lecce.

The Cocaine Lab in Calabria

In April 2023, a clandestine laboratory for cutting and packaging cocaine was discovered in the countryside of Reggio Calabria. Colombian chemists operated there, using sophisticated techniques to ensure the purity of the substance. During the raid, investigators seized:

• 34 kg of cocaine with distinctive brands such as “888” , “Cartier” and a paw icon

• 11 kg of cutting substance

• Processing equipment , including a hydraulic press , industrial blenders , and precision scales

Those arrested and their links with organised crime

Among those arrested were prominent figures in the Brescia and Calabrian drug trade. Dario Bovegno , a 57-year-old from Brescia with a previous drug conviction, managed the operations with his partner Maryis Paola Perez Salcedo , a 39-year-old Colombian with direct contacts in South American cartels. Also operating in Gussago was Francesco Giorgi , a 48-year-old originally from San Luca, considered the point of reference for Italian mafia clans.

In addition to them, several collaborators and couriers ended up in prison, including Gilberto Bolpagni, Skerdi Bocoi, Francesco Licaj, and Annibale Torchia . Other supporting figures, such as Fabiano Brandani and Roberta Renaldini , are under house arrest.

An international traffic with bases throughout Italy

The investigations revealed a widespread distribution system , with supplies directed to the Neapolitan Contini , Orlando-Polverino-Nuvoletta clans , to the Sicilian mafia districts of Santa Maria di Gesù, Porta Nuova and Partinico , and to the Stiddari groups in the province of Caltanissetta.

The operation represents a hard blow to organized crime, but investigations continue to identify any further accomplices and reconstruct the entire drug trafficking network that operated for years with a million-dollar turnover.