Naples, request for confirmation of 16-year prison sentence for drug lord Raffaele Imperiale.

NA new legal battle is approaching for Raffaele Imperiale, the former international drug kingpin known as the "Van Gogh boss."

After being sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison in the first instance, the Attorney General's Office has requested that the sentence be upheld in its entirety in the appeal proceedings currently underway before the Second Section of the Court of Appeal of Naples.

Imperiale, captured in Dubai after a long period as a fugitive and subsequently extradited to Italy, had already begun cooperating with justice before his first-instance sentencing. Despite this, the Preliminary Hearings Judge (GUP) of the Court of Naples, Maria Luisa Miranda, sentenced him to 15 years and 8 months in prison. The Prosecutor's Office had initially requested a sentence of 15 years and 10 months.

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The first degree trial, held with an abbreviated procedure, had seen the conviction of Imperiale and 19 other defendants, with total sentences reaching 190 years of imprisonment. The judge also ordered the confiscation of over €1,8 million already seized.

In the coming weeks, the appeal process will continue with arguments from the defense team, composed of lawyers Luigi Poziello, Rocco Maria Spina, Maria Grazia Padula, and Luigi Senese. The ruling is expected by December.

First Degree Convictions:

Below are the sentences handed down in the first instance

Raffaele Imperiale: 15 years and 8 months

Mario Simeoli: 15 years and 8 months

Daniele Ursini: 15 years and 4 months

Bruno Carbone: 14 years old

Luca Alvino: 13 years old

Marco Panetta: 12 years old

Luca Cammarota: 11 years and 8 months

Ciro Gallo: 11 years old

Fortunato Murolo: 10 years and 8 months

Marco Liguori: 10 years and 4 months

Mario Allegretti: 9 years and 8 months

Antonio Cerullo: 9 years and 4 months

Antonio Puzella: 8 years and 4 months

Luca Girolamo: 7 years old

Corrado Genovese: 6 years and 8 months

Giuseppe Gentile: 6 years and 8 months and a €26 fine

Gianmarco Cerrone: 4 years and 8 months and a €2 fine

Raffaele Mauriello: 4 years and 4 months and an 18 euro fine

Antonio De Dominicis: 4 years and an 18 euro fine

The sentences, although severe, were in some cases lower than the requests of the Prosecutor's Office, represented by PMs De Marco, Giuliano, and Caputo. During his closing speech, Public Prosecutor De Marco had defined Imperiale "One of the world's leading drug traffickers," capable of establishing personal relationships even with South American paramilitary organizations, such as Colombia's Gulf Clan. The Attorney General's request for confirmation on appeal suggests that the pattern of judicial "sting" could repeat itself.