'Ndrangheta and Cosa Nostra, the affairs between the clans of Polistena and those of Gela: maxiblitz in Sicily

A total of 55 people were arrested in the raid by the State Police under the direction of the Caltanissetta DDA. Three in the province of Reggio Calabria

This morning the State Police carried out the precautionary detention measure issued by the investigating judge of Caltanissetta at the request of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Caltanissetta, against 55 subjects mainly from Gela (32 people) as well as 4 subjects from Catania, 4 subjects from Palermo, 12 from the province of Agrigento and 3 from the province of Reggio Calabria , for the crimes of mafia-style criminal association, fictitious registration of goods, extortion and drug trafficking. Crimes aggravated by the availability, among the associates, of weapons (including weapons of war) and explosives.

The investigations

The investigations begun at the end of 2018 made it possible to trace the operational lines of Cosa Nostra in the Gela area, once again clarifying the full operation of the two groups that animate the aforementioned mafia consortium in the territory, namely the Rinzivillo group and the Emmanuello group ( hence the name of the operation “Ianus” , one of the most ancient divinities, usually depicted with two faces, the so-called Two-Faced Janus, precisely to underline the two faces of Cosa Nostra). The investigative activity of the policemen of the Flying Squad, of the SISCO Caltanissetta and of the Gela PS police station - has allowed the emergence of serious clues also regarding the huge investments of the Cosa Nostra mafia organization operating in Gela in the construction of greenhouses aimed at cultivation of marijuana. At the same time, he would have used this type of drug as a bargaining chip to obtain other types of narcotic substances such as cocaine from criminal organizations in Reggio and Catania.


Ties with the 'Ndrangheta

Among the Gelese Cosa Nostra groups and the subjects linked to the Calabrian 'ndrangheta and, in particular, to the 'ndrina Longo of Polistena , as well as with exponents of Catania organized crime, drug trafficking took the form of the Gelese people in the importation of large quantities of cocaine and hashish and in the export of narcotic substances such as marijuana. This was reconstructed on the basis of investigative emergencies taken from the content of the wiretaps of conversations between today's suspects and was confirmed in numerous seizures of marijuana whose total quantity stands at approximately 1000 kg of marijuana-type narcotic; furthermore, according to an estimate made by the suspects themselves during the conversations recorded, the weekly quantity of narcotic substance placed on the market was around 1 or 2 kg of cocaine, resulting in substantial profits amounting to millions of euros.

The "stidda"

The investigation also shed light on the relationships between Cosa Nostra and the other mafia organization operating in Gela and in particular the Stidda, recording some meetings between the respective leaders. During the investigative activity, the availability of weapons and explosives by the associates emerged. In order to avoid the occurrence of serious crimes, one of the suspects was arrested, as he was found in possession of a rudimentary device, which the State Police bomb squad, who promptly intervened, detonated in complete safety. The presumed dangerousness of some of the suspects, as well as from the possession of weapons, also emerged from the content of the conversations captured. In addition to the precautionary measures, the State Police proceeded with the preventive seizure of a villa with swimming pool located in Gela and a large-engined car, assets attributable to some of the suspects.