Drug trafficking between Naples and the Sila: investigations into seven cases closed.

Naples – An alleged "structured" and continuous drug dealing ring, capable of operating between the Reventino and Sila Piccola mountain areas and connecting with supply channels outside the region, as far as Campania, has been the subject of an investigation closure announced in the last few hours by the Carabinieri of the Soveria Mannelli Company. Seven people have received a notice of conclusion of the preliminary investigation and a simultaneous preliminary investigation: the alleged crimes, on various counts, include possession with intent to distribute narcotics in conspiracy.

The investigation, coordinated by the Lamezia Terme Public Prosecutor's Office and led by acting Chief Prosecutor Vincenzo Quaranta, has been dubbed "Reventino in Lockdown." A name that, investigators emphasize, harks back to the period of restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic: a period during which, according to the prosecution's argument, the drug dealing activity continued despite controls and restrictions.

The survey map: from the Catanzaro area to Naples and Caivano

The centre of gravity of the contested activity would be in the municipalities of Soveria Mannelli, Decollatura and Carlopoli (Catanzaro) and in Colosimi (Cosenza), with a pool of buyers composed "mostly" of buyers resident in the mountain area between Reventino and Sila Piccola.

But the geography reconstructed by investigators expands: the locations cited also include Lamezia Terme, Catanzaro, and Cosenza. And, above all, extra-regional ramifications emerge, which—according to the prosecution—led investigators as far as the province of Benevento, specifically Sant'Agata de' Goti, and to two key locations among Campania's major drug dealing hubs: the Secondigliano neighborhood of Naples and the Parco Verde in Caivano.

Over 250 sales and three substances: marijuana, heroin and cocaine

The period investigated by investigators runs from September 2020 to March 2021. During those months, the prosecution claims to have documented over 250 drug dealing incidents, involving various substances: marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. The distribution, it is alleged, was "systematic and continuous," in ways that investigators believe were not sporadic but organized.

Cryptic language and wiretaps: this is how the drug dealing "chain" was reconstructed

Wiretaps are a key aspect of the investigation. The suspects reportedly used cryptic language among themselves, which helped shield direct references to drugs and deliveries. Despite this, investigators believe the interceptions allowed them to reconstruct the procurement phases and the subsequent methods of supply to users, even outlining roles and movements within the network.

From homes to "on-the-road" deliveries: the contested modus operandi

The alleged drug dealing was not handled uniformly. The investigation describes at least two main patterns:

Some of the suspects are said to have started to supply the substance inside their own homes, and then subsequently moved to an itinerant mode, considered "safer" to reduce the risk of detection.

others would have operated exclusively in an itinerant manner, along the routes between the supply point and the buyers' homes

It's a dynamic that—in investigative reading—highlights adaptation and operational caution: changing scenarios and routines to avoid controls, especially during a period when the pandemic context increased attention on travel and presence in the area.

Payments are almost always cash: only one case of electronic payment

On the financial front, the prosecution alleges payments were almost exclusively in cash, with a strict rule: no "credit" to buyers. The exception, it is noted, is a single incident in which an electronic payment system was allegedly used to purchase the drug: a detail that, for investigators, represents an anomaly in a situation dominated by the use of cash, which is more difficult to trace.

Why did we get to the investigation?

The Carabinieri's investigation was apparently triggered by alarming data: an increase in drug dealing, particularly in Soveria Mannelli, Decollatura, Carlopoli, and surrounding areas. This led to the force's decision to launch a targeted counteraction, which later culminated in Operation "Reventino in Lockdown" and, today, the formal closure of the investigation into the seven suspects.