Italian authorities, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies in Albania and Spain, have arrested 27 individuals involved in drug trafficking, including members of a Nigerian-led syndicate.
According to a report by Reuters, Italy’s Carabinieri police confirmed that 20 of the suspects were taken into custody, while seven were placed under house arrest.
A police statement revealed that a criminal network, controlled by Nigerians, used young Nigerian asylum seekers and refugees as couriers to distribute marijuana across Italy and other parts of Europe.
Investigations showed that a long-distance bus terminal near Rome’s Tiburtina train station served as a key distribution hub for the illegal drug trade. The traffickers reportedly recruited couriers from a migrant reception center on the outskirts of Rome, which was also used as a storage facility for narcotics.
Additionally, the operation uncovered another drug trafficking group, led by Albanians, which smuggled marijuana into Italy using high-speed boats across the Adriatic Sea. The drugs were then sold to Nigerian traffickers for further distribution.
Some Albanian suspects were also accused of aggravated extortion, allegedly targeting Nigerian buyers who failed to meet their payment deadlines.
Authorities say the crackdown is part of an ongoing effort to dismantle international drug trafficking networks operating within Europe.
