Carabinieri from the Rome-EUR Company Operations Unit, together with the Cryptocurrency Section of the Carabinieri Anti-Counterfeiting Command, executed a pre-trial detention order this morning against three men, all residents of the capital, under investigation for drug trafficking and money laundering. One of those arrested was already detained in Civitavecchia for similar crimes.
The investigation, coordinated by the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office's "Widespread and Serious Crime" department, began in 2023 with the analysis of several cryptocurrency exchange platforms registered to one of the suspects. According to the findings, large sums of illicitly obtained money were deposited into the digital wallets of a Chinese citizen, already arrested in June 2024, and then converted into cash through operations aimed at "laundering" the funds before reintroducing them into the legal system.
The investigations uncovered a criminal organization active in the sale of cocaine, hashish, and marijuana not only in Rome but also in other Italian cities. The distribution took place through social media channels, such as Telegram and Instagram, while customer payments were received via digital wallets, including cryptocurrencies, and then laundered. The narcotics were shipped to customers via couriers, after being packaged in an apartment located a short distance from the capital, identified as the group's logistics base.
During the searches, the Carabinieri seized 15 kg of hashish, a 9mm Browning semi-automatic pistol with its serial number removed, six bottles of Rivotril, and five firecrackers. At the same time, personal, home, and computer searches were conducted.
(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)