It is considered the largest drug seizure in the province of Avellino in the last twenty years. Officers from the Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Guardia di Finanza in Avellino arrested an Italian man, caught red-handed with a shipment of narcotics destined—according to investigators—for the Campania market and potentially also for the Naples area, where the Camorra criminal organizations operate the main drug dealing hubs.
It all started with a routine check. A Guardia di Finanza patrol, engaged in drug trafficking prevention, noticed a man lurking suspiciously in the center of Santa Lucia di Serino, a small town on the outskirts of Avellino. The man was leaving his home with a jute suitcase, which he was carrying with unusual caution.
The investigative instincts of the financial police led to an immediate check: inside the suitcase were numerous blocks of brown substance, which later turned out to be hashish, confirmed by the rapid test.
Subsequent searches of the house revealed a veritable drug warehouse: over 300 kilos of narcotics, including hashish, cocaine, and methamphetamine, packaging material, and precision scales.
An "industrial" seizure that, according to initial estimates, could have fueled hundreds of drug dealing hubs in Avellino, Naples, and the surrounding province. The operation, coordinated by the Avellino Public Prosecutor's Office, is part of a broader investigation aimed at targeting drug trafficking supply networks in the Irpinia area, traditionally linked to the channels operated by clans in the Neapolitan hinterland.
The value of the drugs: how much they would have earned the clans
The more than 300 kilos of drugs seized represent an enormous economic value, if placed on the retail market.
Based on average consumer prices in Campania's markets:
Hashish: about 2.
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Cocaine: around €45.000 per kilo on the average wholesale market, but at retail it can exceed €70.000 (€70 per gram).
Methamphetamine (crystal): around 25.000 euros per kilo, with resale at 50–60 euros per gram.
If we assume an indicative breakdown of the seizure - 200 kg of hashish, 80 kg of cocaine and 20 kg of methamphetamine - the potential overall value would be:
Drug Type Estimated Quantity Average Retail Value Estimated Total
Hashish 200 kg €8.000/kg €1,6 million
Cocaine 80 kg €70.000/kg €5,6 million
Methamphetamine 20 kg €50.000/kg €1 million
Potential total – – 8,2 million euros
A figure that well conveys the scope of the operation: over 8 million euros worth of drugs removed from the market, equivalent to thousands of doses and weeks of earnings for the criminal organizations managing the drug trade.
The shadow of the clans and the connection with Naples
Although the arrested man does not appear to be directly linked to Camorra families, investigators believe such a quantity could not have been destined for the local market. The investigation therefore aims to determine whether the shipment was a "transit depot" on behalf of criminal gangs in the Naples area, interested in supplying the drug dealing hubs of Secondigliano, Scampia, and San Giovanni a Teduccio.
A trend that opens up significant scenarios: the province of Avellino, long considered a peaceful territory, confirms itself as a logistical hub for drug trafficking, a "buffer zone" between the Adriatic routes and the large Neapolitan drug markets.
Comments (1)
The article mentioned a very large drug seizure, but I don't understand how it could happen in such a quiet place as Avellino. Investigators need to do more checks to prevent these situations.