FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Other details have emerged from the anti-drug operation conducted in the Umbria region, Italy, where 68 kilograms of cocaine were seized. 7 people were arrested, while 3 others were declared wanted. Among the detainees are five Albanians, suspected of collaborating with local elements and other criminal structures.
According to Italian authorities, the group used advanced electronic devices, including cryptophones, to avoid eavesdropping and monitor communications, with the aim of protecting itself from law enforcement intervention.
The operation, codenamed "White Eagle", began after the first arrests in May 2022 in Umbria and intensified during 2024. Investigations revealed close cooperation between groups of Albanian traffickers, who, according to authorities, helped each other in cases where the supply chain faced difficulties.
Within the last three years, the Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza in Perugia has discovered and cracked down on three criminal organizations suspected of distributing high-purity cocaine in the city and other areas of Italy.
In 2022–2023, following initial arrests by the Guardia di Finanza in Città di Castello, a second investigation was opened led by the Perugia DDA prosecutor, Gennaro Iannarone. According to investigators, Fatjon Cardaku , known as “Fabio”, is suspected of running a network spanning several areas of Umbria, including Perugia, Corciano and Passignano sul Trasimeno, with connections to Naples, Arezzo and other northern cities.
The investigation also documented cocaine supplies from the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Ecuador, Brazil, Switzerland, Albania and Peru. In December last year, four pre-trial detention measures were executed against three Albanians and one Italian.
A preliminary hearing session was held for 13 other people involved in the investigation, who have not been charged with criminal organization, in accordance with the requirements of the reform in force. The decision on them remains pending, while the prosecution has requested security measures.
The investigations of the Guardia di Finanza, led by Lieutenant Colonel Enrico Fiorenza, show that through wiretaps and surveillance, significant cocaine sales have been documented. The name of another person suspected of being the leader of the latest organization hit, considered an associate of Gianpaolo Coresi, a restaurant owner in Foligno, was also mentioned in the intercepted conversations.
Coresi was arrested in January 2025 with 65 kilograms and 500 grams of cocaine. According to the investigation, the drugs were stored on behalf of his associates and, after analysis, it was estimated that they could produce around 283 thousand doses. Authorities emphasize that this was not a single centralized structure, but rather collaboration between different groups operating in certain areas.
In April 2024, another Albanian was arrested near Torricella with drugs in his vehicle. Later, in his apartment in Salsomaggiore, 40 kilograms of cocaine were found. He was sentenced to six years in prison, less than the 14 years requested by the prosecution. Likewise, another Albanian citizen, arrested in 2022 with 17 kilograms of cocaine in Foligno, was sentenced to three years in prison and then deported. According to the latest detention order, he is suspected of continuing criminal activity from Tirana to Umbria.
Investigations show that the members involved in the latest case were mainly supplied from Spain and operated in the Foligno area, where they are suspected of storing large quantities of drugs and reinvesting part of the illegal income. According to the Perugia Prosecutor's Office, headed by Raffaele Cantone, dozens of shipments have been documented over the past three years, while in some cases they have intervened to seize over 70 kilograms of cocaine.
In wiretaps published by Italian media, some of the suspects talk about quantities and distribution methods, mentioning the need to sell at least one kilogram per month. In another case, the owner of a restaurant in Foligno is heard talking about sending several kilograms to various meeting points.
"We have to sell at least a kilo a month, because if they catch him, they'll release him," one of the dealers would tell his Neapolitan collaborator as they waited to receive those "200 pieces" of cocaine.
"We send eight kilos to one parking lot, five to another. Would you ruin your life for a thousand euros a month?"
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