The Guardia di Finanza, an Italian law enforcement agency specializing in financial crimes, smuggling, drug trafficking, and customs enforcement, has dismantled a well-structured international drug trafficking network with deep roots in Rome's Casal Boccone and Fonte Meravigliosa neighborhoods, whose main source of drugs was Morocco. Sixteen individuals were targeted with precautionary measures, thirteen jailed and three placed under house arrest, in an investigation led by the Rome Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office and executed by the Economic-Financial Police Unit (GICO). The gang operated a hierarchical system importing over 1.4 tons of hashish and marijuana from Morocco via Spain, using road transport across the Italian border, local media reported on Monday. The drugs were distributed to wholesalers serving Rome districts like Don Bosco, Pigneto, Spinaceto, and Capannelle, as well as nearby provinces including Latina. A «common fund» was maintained to pay members and support imprisoned associates and their families, reinforcing the group's cohesion. During the crackdown, investigators seized more than 660 kg of hashish, over 50 kg of marijuana, firearms, modified vehicles with hidden compartments, and encrypted communication devices. Charges against the suspects include international drug trafficking, illegal weapons possession, robbery, handling stolen goods, and money laundering. This operation delivers a significant blow to the drug trade impacting the capital and its surrounding regions.
