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The carabinieri carried out an impressive operation, dubbed “Iddu”, in the Giarrese area.
There were around a hundred soldiers engaged since 2 in the morning in a service activity that was concentrated between Giarre and Riposto with 21 arrests, including two women. Several operational departments of the weapon are in action. In the sieve of the cc different areas of Giarre, Riposto and neighboring municipalities. A helicopter followed the operational activity from above.
The 21 people detained are under investigation, for various reasons, for crimes of association type mafia, association directed to illicit drug trafficking, possession and trafficking of drugs, extortion and multiple aggravated injuries, all crimes committed with the aggravation of the method. mafia.
The survey made it possible to outline the apical position of Benedetto La Motta, 62, a reference for the Riposto area of the Cosa Nostra family of Santapaola-Ercolano in Catania, as well as that of his most loyal collaborators, including 76-year-old Antonino Marano. , known as the prison killer.
The investigative activity made it possible to document the intimidation and beatings committed by the suspects with the aim of imposing mafia control of the territory. In addition, some of the current suspects had already been identified as directors and authors of the murder of the young Dario Chapan committed in October 2016.
The Carabinieri operation is part of a specific police activity initiated in accordance with the District Antimafia Directorate of the Republic of Etna Prosecutor’s Office and launched by Arma against the Cosa Nostra family of Catania Santapaola-Ercolano both in the capital and throughout the province , through the use of highly specialized investigative components to combat the infiltration of the association in the economic activities sector, as well as the Carabinieri Companies for the dismantling of mafia groups with the objective of direct control of the territory and the carrying out of ordinary criminal activities .
The provision has its origin in a complex investigation carried out by the Carabinieri de Giarre Company from 2017 to 2019, through technical and dynamic activities, also verified by the statements of several collaborators of justice, which allowed:
- identify and attack with a restrictive measure preventive detention in prison, some belonging to the Riposto Group of the family of our thing from Catania Santapaola – Herculaneum, operating in the municipalities of Riposto and Giarre ;;
- define the structure, senior positions and roles of the suspects within the criminal association, reconstructing the enormous volume of illicit business, the management system of the “trading centers”, the methods of acquisition / sale of drugs (cocaine, marijuana and hashish) and keeping members of the organization detained;
- document 5 extortions consumed and another attack against merchants, from various sectors, committed in order to facilitate the mafia organization to which they belong;
- arrest, in response to the investigative activity, 10 people and seize a total of kg. 210 of marijuana, gr. 320 of cocaine, gr. 40 hashish, as well as a plantation consisting of 170 Indian hemp plants, No. 4 pistol cartridges cal. 7.65 and the cash amount of € 4,715.00.
Regarding the management of shopping centers, the investigation allowed documenting an activity carried out 24 hours a day, with retailers divided into shifts. The suspects who were in charge of obtaining the substances, their concealment, packaging, and regular supply to drug traffickers were then identified. The total daily income of the organization can be quantified in several thousand euros per day.
It is significant to note that the drug trafficking-oriented association, despite the fact that during the course of the investigations there were arrests of traffickers or seizures in large quantities of drugs, it has always managed in a short time to reorganize itself to continue in illicit activities.
The management of the illicit drug market was entrusted to the henchmen who were in charge of recruiting upstart, provide them with mobile phones and electric scooters and pay them around 250 euros a week as compensation.
The investigations also brought to light a series of extortion activities carried out against various commercial businesses in Giarre and Riposto, whose victims have never denounced the harassment they suffered, which further confirms the association’s mafia nature and the great intimidating force . of the associative bond that continues to impose silence on the victims.
After the arrest of La Motta, which took place in December 2017 by prison order, the activities did not cease and, on the contrary, they took over from her husband Messina Grazia, who, until his subsequent release (which took place in June 2018) not only received the proceeds of extortion, but also demonstrated that he was capable of administering criminal justice when, as a result of a robbery that took place against a commercial establishment subject to monetary protection, he ordered the beating of one of the robbers, precisely so as not to show signs of weakness.
Of the 22 recipients of the provision, 14 were transferred in the Penitentiary Offices of Catania, Siracusa, Messina, Caltanissetta, Milan and Lecce to another 7 suspects the measure was notified in the prisons where they are already detained, while for a suspect, currently located in abroad, the MAE application process began
ALL NAMES AND PHOTOS OF THE ARRESTED
- Bonaccorso Giovanni, understood “u ciasco”, born in Riposto, 46 years old;
- Boualloucha Abedelmajid, means “macido”, born in Giarre, 27 years old;
- Countryside Giuseppe, means “jockey”, born in Riposto, 46 years old;
- Cartia Ornella, born in Castiglione di Sicilia, 68 years old;
- Castorina Paolo, means “spiddo” born in Giarre, 37 years old;
- Cucé Gianluca Leonardo, which means “Leo”, born in Catania, 42 years old;
- La Motta Benedetto, which means “Benito”, “Iddu”, “boss” and “uncle”, 62, already arrested;
- The plug Andrea, which means “sausage dog” and “blue”, born in Giarre, 37 years old;
- Leotta Graziano, born in Riposto, 52 years old;
- Mancuso Cateno, means “Tino ciuffo”, born in Riposto, 39 years old;
- Mancuso Massimiliano, means “Massimo or Massimitto”, born in Giarre, 35 years old;
- Marano Antonino, meant “old man” or “zu Nino”, the murderer of the prison, born in Mascali, 76 years old, already in prison;
- Marletta Salvatore, understood as “Turi di Palagonia”, born in Palagonia, 47 years old, already in prison;
- Messina Grazia, which means “Idda”, “patron” and “aunt”, born in Riposto, 58 years old;
- Patané Davide, understood “zappitta”, born in Giarre, 28 years old;
- Patané Salvatore, understood “hoe-hoe” born in Mascali, 49 years old;
- Previti Liborio, means “u tignusu”, born in Catania, 39 years old, already in prison;
- Russo Giovanni, understood as “u grossu”, born in Acireale, 31 years old, already detained at his home;
- Wisdom Andrea, means “Andrea myth”, born in Giarre, 46 years old, already in prison;
- Tuccio Agatino, meant “Tino or Catino”, born in Giarre, 54 years old, already in prison;
- Zammataro Gaetano, means “fasola”, born in Catania, 33 years old.
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