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Operation Iride: 88 bosses under the 41-bis regime transferred to Uta, Sardinia rises up in protest.

Judicial Chronicle
The historic branches in Viterbo, Milan, Rome, L'Aquila, Spoleto, and Terni have been dismantled. The new wing of UTA will house 92 positions for the toughest regime. Political controversy erupts over the "importation" of mafia bosses. The government responds: "National security strategy."
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Operation Iride 88 Bosses at 41 Bis Transferred to Uta Sardinia Rises 2026 09 08
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It was called “Operation Iris” and is, in fact, one of the largest transfer operations of 41-bis prisoners ever carried out in Italy.

Between Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September 2026, 88 mafia bosses subjected to the harsh prison regime were moved from six different Italian penitentiaries to the new maximum security facility of Uta prison, on the outskirts of Cagliari.

The operation involved 207 men from the Mobile Operations Group (GOM) of the Penitentiary Police, ten military flights from Pomezia and Pratica di Mare, and a massive deployment of road escorts for the final stretch from Decimomannu to Uta. To allow the armored convoys to pass, State Road 130 in the Cagliari hinterland was temporarily closed to traffic, an operation that did not go unnoticed by the local population.

Where the 88 inmates come from: the transfer numbers

The 88 transfers come from six Italian prisons, with Viterbo-Mammagialla providing the largest contingent: 41 inmates, nearly half the total. Terni follows with 21, Milan with 9, L'Aquila with 7, Spoleto with 6, and Rome with 4.

Overall, the new Uta ward was designed to accommodate 92 spaces dedicated exclusively to 41-bis, as part of a high-security circuit reorganization plan formally launched in 2011 and only now operational, after over a decade of design and construction.

Why do the bosses concentrate in a single hub?

Article 41-bis is the most severe prison regime in Italy, created after the 1992 mafia massacres to prevent criminal organizations from issuing orders from inside prison.

The rationale behind the new structure, as explained by Chiara Colosimo, president of the Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Commission, is to "overcome the promiscuity between the various prison systems and create centers dedicated exclusively to Article 41-bis," with the goal of "eliminating the mafia's leadership's ability to command."

According to the ministry, concentrating the most dangerous inmates in a single specialized unit allows for the optimization of surveillance, checks, and investigative activities, minimizing the possibility of communication with the outside world and criminal coordination.

Controversy in Sardinia: "Decision imposed from above"

The transfer sparked intense controversy in Sardinia. Regional President Alessandra Todde and other local politicians challenged the decision, calling it "top-down" and announcing formal steps, including a formal warning and possible appeals to the Regional Administrative Court (TAR), to obtain clarity on the overall plan and its regional implications.

The criticism revolves around two axes: the perception of an "importation" of highly dangerous crime to the island and the lack of prior consultation with regional institutions. The Ministry of Justice has rejected the accusations, reiterating that the transfer is not improvised, but rather follows a long-standing plan and responds to national security needs.

The ministry celebrates: "An example for foreign countries"

In Rome, Undersecretary of Justice Alberto Balboni called the operation a demonstration of "the extraordinary commitment and incredible professionalism of the Penitentiary Police." Balboni emphasized that Article 41-bis remains "the principal instrument in combating the Mafia and the last bastion of national security," adding that "our legal system and our Penitentiary Police are an example for numerous foreign countries that study Italy's fight against organized crime."

The ministry also highlighted the complexity of the planning: simultaneous movements across a wide geographic radius, the activation of a new Mobile Operations Unit, general extraordinary searches in the affected sections, the use of canine units, drones to monitor the areas, and specialized personnel for video recording.

For the unitary management of the operation, an "Operations Support Command Center" was set up, active in real time during all phases of the operation.

What happens now

With the first 88 inmates already in UTA, the plan calls for increasing the total number of places activated in the new 41-bis wing to 92. Local news sources indicate that further transfers could take place by the end of the year, consistent with the strategy of concentrating highly dangerous inmates in dedicated facilities.

From a judicial and investigative perspective, concentration in a single hub should facilitate control and limit the possibility of mafia coordination, but the political stakes with Sardinia remain unresolved, as it demands guarantees and transparency on the entire project.

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