This morning, personnel of the State Police, at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Catanzaro, have executed a precautionary custody order, issued by the Judge for preliminary investigations of Catanzaro, against 13 positionsin relation to which elements integrating the crime of mafia-type association as well as crimes were collected satellite of mafia political electoral exchange, usury, extortion, illegal possession and possession of weapons and drugs.
The restrictive measure was issued following the validation by the Crotone GIP of a decree arresting a crime suspect against 11 subjects issued by this Office at the end of a detailed investigation carried out jointly by the policemen of the Flying Squads of Catanzaro and Crotone, started in March 2020 on the basis of the investigative results that also emerged in other criminal proceedings, aimed at identifying the ultra-activity and operation of the ‘ ndrangheta of the Isola Capo Rizzuto club.
The evidentiary acquisitions, the result of complex technical activities, enriched by the contributions offered by justice collaborators, consolidated the hypothesis of the existence of an associative structure whose top member was considered the person to turn to for the resolution of various problems, such as the one of protect an isolated entrepreneur from extortion requests made by hegemonic criminal exponents in other territories; clues were gathered aimed at establishing that the management of the so-called was entrusted to the aforementioned top exponent. basin containing the sums deriving from the illicit activities of the ARENA gang, with which he himself provided for the sustenance of the prisoners and their families.
The continuation of the investigations highlighted the interference of various families present in the area, demonstrating, at a circumstantial level, the perpetration of a series of crimes committed in the name and on behalf of the clan to which they belong, such as arms trafficking, usury and extortion.
Confirming the activism of the suspects in the sector of trafficking and distribution of narcotic substances and the wide availability of weapons by the organisation, numerous seizures were made, including approximately 2 kilos of marijuana, a plantation of 707 marijuana plants, a Beretta 9X21 caliber pistol with abraded serial number, a Falco brand over-and-under rifle, cal. 8 and 92 homemade explosive devices. The technical activities even made it possible to document their actual use, during a test fire carried out by the suspects in an isolated area of the Isola Capo Rizzuto area.
Furthermore, during the investigations it emerged that the interference by the gangs in the mechanism of procuring votes in the territory of Isola Capo Rizzuto in favor of a councilor candidate in the elections held on 3-4 October 2021, for the renewal of the Regional Council of Calabria.
In the order, implemented today, the precautionary measure was also applied prison against two subjects from Cotronei, reached by serious indications of guilt of attempted extortion, committed with mafia method, against an entrepreneur from Isola Capo Rizzuto.