Acquittal on appeal for 'Ndrangheta suspects
8 June 2019

Two Italian brothers, Vincenzo and Rocco Crupi, who were previously convicted as' Ndrangheta members who used the Aalsmeer flower auction for smuggling , have been acquitted by the Italian court on appeal, the Algemeen Dagblad reports .

The Crupi brothers were arrested in 2015 in Aalsmeer, where they lived and worked. The Italian justice department counts them as the mafiaclan of the 'Ndrangheta from the southern Italian Siderno. In the first instance they received 20 years (Vincenzo) and 15 years (Rocco) cell. Last week they were released from prison, report Italian media.

On appeal, the professional judges do not consider their mafia membership to be proven. A large sum of cash found by the judiciary apparently does not necessarily come from drug trafficking. It may also be related to the flower trade. The substantiation of the judgment has not yet appeared.

Vincenzo C. has been active at the flower auction in Aalsmeer since the 90s. He bought cut flowers all over the world and sent them to Italy. Justice saw that trade as a cover.