A joint operation by the Italian State Police and the Guardia di Finanza led to the arrest of five Tunisian citizens, accused of being part of a criminal organization dedicated to international drug trafficking.
The measure, issued by the Palermo District Anti-Mafia Office and validated by the Trapani investigating judge, follows a raid at sea that resulted in the seizure of over 670 kilograms of hashish, the largest shipment intercepted in recent decades in Trapani waters.
It all began on the night of October 20, when, during a patrol along the coast of the province of Trapani, members of the Trapani Flying Squad and the Palermo SISCO—coordinated by the Central Operations Service and in collaboration with the Naval Operations Section of the Trapani Guardia di Finanza—identified a dinghy with a powerful outboard motor off the coast of Marsala.
The vessel, remotely tracked by the radar of the Palermo Naval Air Operations Department, reached international waters where it encountered a Tunisian-flagged fishing vessel.
The Guardia di Finanza's naval and air units documented the transfer of several large blue packages from the fishing boat to the dinghy.
It might interest you
A high-speed chase ensued, ending with the dinghy being seized by the Guardia di Finanza. During the escape, the driver attempted to throw part of the cargo overboard, but the packages—recovered shortly thereafter—contained 160 kilograms of hashish, divided into blocks.
At the same time, Guardia di Finanza patrol boats also intercepted the Tunisian fishing vessel in international waters, thanks to the Montego Bay Convention, which allows for operations beyond territorial borders. The crew also attempted to escape, abandoning eleven packages containing over 600 kilograms of hashish at sea. The chase ended a few miles from Tunisian waters, with the vessel being boarded and taken over.
The five Tunisians involved—the pilot of the dinghy and the four crew members of the fishing vessel—were arrested on suspicion of crime. Four of them were jailed on charges of conspiracy to commit international drug trafficking, while a fifth, considered a minor, was transferred to the Milos Detention and Repatriation Center, pending further judicial decisions.
The operation marks another success in the fight against illicit trafficking in the Strait of Sicily, where drug trafficking routes are increasingly intertwined with those of migrants. This result was achieved thanks to close collaboration between police forces and anti-mafia prosecutors, who prevented the release of a significant quantity of drugs destined, according to investigators, for Italian and European markets.
Comments (1)
What happened is very significant, but I don't know if it's enough. More needs to be done to stop this trafficking. The numbers are high, and the situation seems complicated to manage. Let's hope for an improvement.