Italian authorities have achieved a historic milestone in their fight against drug trafficking as they intercepted a staggering 5.3-tonne cocaine haul off the southern coast of Sicily recently.
The value of the seized consignment is estimated to be 850 million euros ($946 million).
This massive operation resulted in the arrest of five individuals, marking a significant victory for law enforcement in the ongoing battle against illicit drug trade.
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The breakthrough operation was executed by the Guardia di Finanza, who had been closely monitoring a ship that had sailed from South America.
In a daring move, police swooped as a surveillance aircraft witnessed packages being jettisoned from the ship’s deck into the waters of the Strait of Sicily.
These packages were destined to be collected by a waiting fishing trawler, but authorities foiled the plan by intercepting the trawler in time.
“We had been closely monitoring the ship’s movements, and when we witnessed the packages being thrown into the sea, we knew it was time to act swiftly and decisively,” said Chief Inspector Marco Rossi, who led the operation.
The intercepted trawler concealed a startling discovery – a hidden compartment cunningly disguised behind some panelling. Inside, large quantities of cocaine were stashed away, further emphasizing the scale of the drug trafficking operation.
The arrested individuals, including two Tunisians, an Italian, an Albanian, and a French national, are in custody and will face justice for their involvement in this illicit trade.
Sicilian regional president Renato Schifani praised the operation as a blow against drug smuggling.
“Drugs are a scourge of our society fuelled by unscrupulous men who sow death by crushing hopes and destroying many families,” he said in a statement.
This isn’t the first time Italian authorities have faced such a challenge. In April, police discovered nearly 2 tonnes of cocaine floating at sea off eastern Sicily, believed to have been left by a cargo ship for collection.
Source Harare Live
