The Italian press reports that the cocaine arrived from South America hidden in containers and was destined for the Lombardy market. The value of the traffic amounted to over 27 million euros. This is the conclusion of the investigations of the Guardia di Finanza of the Provincial Command of Milan and the Central Investigation Service against Organized Crime, which have executed a detention order for 28 people: 25 in prison and 3 under house arrest.
According to the prosecution, the suspects are part of a criminal organization linked to the 'Ndrangheta of the Locride area, which was supported by Albanian criminal figures and was engaged in managing international drug trafficking.
Mobile-based investigation with the SkyECC system
The investigation is based mainly on the analysis of conversations conducted through encrypted SkyECC phones. The starting point was the telephone directory of Franco Barbaro, considered the center of the organization, along with his right-hand man Bruno Trimboli. Both bear important surnames from the Locride area, while their activities have long since moved to Lombardy, where cocaine trafficking generates millions in profits for the clans.
The role of the Chinese "exchanger"
Among those arrested is a Chinese national accused of money laundering. According to Milan prosecutor Marcello Viola, he acted as a money changer, allowing the organization to pay for drug supplies through an informal financial compensation system known as “fei eh 'ien,” a method that allows capital to circulate without going through official channels.
Calabria–Lombardy–Campania axis
The Antimafia investigation, carried out by Gico of the Guardia di Finanza, revealed a complex scheme of agreements between Calabrian, Lombard and Campanian criminal exponents, with the aim of facilitating the import of large quantities of cocaine from South America through direct contacts with brokers and suppliers.
Milan-based logistics network
Investigators identified a well-organized criminal network rooted in Lombardy, with operational branches in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Colombia and Brazil. The group used encrypted communication applications and maintained regular contact with Albanian traffickers and intermediaries.
The drugs were transported by sea to the ports of Livorno, Rotterdam, Gioia Tauro and Le Havre, using the "rip-off" technique, where cocaine shipments are hidden inside containers of legal cargo.
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LIST OF ARRESTED PERSONS
In prison:
• Franco Barbaro, Platì, 1976
• Antonio Barbaro, Locri, 1984
• Giuseppe Trimboli, Locri, 1977
• Bruno Trimboli, Platì, 1976
• Rocco Violi, Milan, 1989
• Michele Portolesi, Platì, 1975
• Antonino Chindamo, Polistena, 1988
• Bartolomeo Pepè, Cinquefrondi, 1983
• Luciano Scarinci, Locri , 1984
. Milan, 1984 • Antonio Rosario Trimboli, Locri, 1982 • Stefano Virgilio, Milan, 1991 • Yubo Xe
House arrest:
• Francesco Biondo, Palermo, 1951
• Giuseppe Foti, Catanzaro, 1977
• Giuseppe Perre, Locri, 1997
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