Europol has supported Italian law enforcement in dealing a major blow to the 'Ndrangheta criminal organization. On 8 July 2025, a joint operation was carried out across Italy, Spain and Albania, with special intervention teams arresting 28 suspected criminals of Italian and Albanian nationality.
According to foreign media, among the detained individuals is an Italian citizen from the Calabria region, suspected of setting up a criminal structure for the cocaine trade in the San Basilio area of Rome.
This individual, along with his three sons, is suspected of working closely with an Albanian criminal group that handled some of the logistical aspects of the drug trafficking trade. Albanian members of this network are suspected of organizing the extraction of cargoes from various Spanish and Dutch ports, as well as the subsequent transport to Italy. In addition, they were responsible for the sale of drugs in other parts of Rome.
Investigations show that the cocaine sold in Italy was purchased in South America and transported in containers to ports across Europe. The transport from the port of Gioia Tauro in Calabria to Rome was allegedly facilitated by Calabrian criminal intermediaries.
Torture as a tool to instill fear within the criminal organization
The arrested individuals are suspected of trafficking at least 1,019 kilograms of cocaine and 1,497 kilograms of hashish in 80 trafficking operations. Prosecutors suspect that four Italian individuals kidnapped a drug trafficker, causing him physical and psychological harm - an example of serious violence linked to the 'Ndrangheta criminal organization.
The torture was filmed with a mobile phone and the video was then spread with the aim of instilling fear, silence and submission among members of the criminal group based in Rome.
This complex investigation also revealed the sophisticated communication methods used to exchange information within the criminal organization. To avoid detection by authorities, its members relied on encrypted messages via devices distributed by an Albanian criminal service provider, who was also arrested on July 8.
Europol support and international cooperation
On the day of the operation, a Europol expert with a mobile office was sent to Italy to cross-check the information with Europol databases. Europol provided financial analytical support and facilitated the exchange of information between Italian and Spanish authorities, leading to five arrests in Spain during the investigation, prior to the day of the operation. (A2 Televizion)
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