16 arrested for armed robbery, extortion, and assault.

The Carabinieri of Lecce are engaged in the arrest of drug dealers.

GALLIPOLI - Pre-trial detention order issued against 19 individuals under investigation, on various counts, for conspiracy to traffic in narcotics, possession with intent to distribute narcotics, armed robbery, attempted extortion, arson, aggravated bodily harm resulting from physical deformation, and other charges, with the aggravating circumstance of mafia-related methods. On the morning of Tuesday, October 21, 2025, in the municipalities of Gallipoli, Nardò, Galatone, Sannicola, and Seclì, as well as at the Lecce prison, Carabinieri officers from the Lecce provincial command completed a large-scale operation targeting a drug trafficking organization operating in the Ionian coast of Salento. The operation mobilized 120 soldiers, supported by the territorial commands, the 6th Helicopter Unit of Bari Palese, the “Puglia” Helicopter Hunter Squadron, the Modugno (Bari) Dog Unit, as well as the soldiers of the 11th “Puglia” Regiment.

The arrest of a young man in flagrante delicto for drug dealing in Galatone

By order of the Lecce Preliminary Investigations Judge, and at the request of the District Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office, precautionary measures were carried out, including seven prison sentences and nine house arrests, out of a total of 51 suspects. Those arrested are seriously suspected of conspiracy to traffic in narcotics, possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking, armed robbery, attempted extortion, arson, aggravated bodily harm resulting from physical disfigurement, and other charges, aggravated by mafia methods. It all began in June 2020, with the arrest of a young member of the clan in Galatone for drug dealing. 1999. Subsequent investigative investigations launched by the Carabinieri allowed them to identify the existence of two parallel lines, in constant contact, which divided the two main drug dealing areas in the Ionian part of Salento, divided between the centers of Nardò – including the two marinas of Santa Caterina and Santa Maria al Bagno – and Gallipoli – including Galatone and Sannicola – reports the press release from the Carabinieri.

Drug dealing activity aggravated by the typical use of violence

What appeared to be an isolated judicial police operation soon revealed itself to be the tip of the iceberg of two multi-faceted criminal organizations, well-distributed across their respective territories, capable of trafficking large quantities of narcotics. Specifically, the organization operating in the Nardò area is characterized by a top-down structure capable of managing a systematic drug dealing operation, aggravated by the typical use of violence, in true mafia style, including the use of weapons. The organization's purpose was both to collect debts from drug sales and to control the territory and thereby assert its power over the entire Nardò area. In this regard, several incidents attracted the attention of investigators. One high-profile case occurred when, after withdrawing money from an ATM, a victim was approached by armed individuals who, using violence and threats, forced him to surrender control of his car.

A victim was violently attacked by one of the associates

During the journey, the victim was slapped and threatened with a gun, pointed at his right leg and face, until he was taken to an isolated location, where the criminals robbed him of €350 in cash and the car keys. One of the attackers then fired two shots at the car, one of which struck the driver's side door. On another occasion, near a bar in Nardò, a victim was violently attacked by one of the attackers, repeatedly hitting her with unspeakable and disproportionate force, even after she had fallen to the ground. He kicked and punched her in the face, leaving her on the ground, causing permanent facial disfigurement and disfigurement. For months, the Carabinieri followed the trail of the two criminal groups, combining wiretaps, tailgating, discreet observations, and even aerial reconnaissance.

Another woman, close to the boss, managed the telephone contacts on her own

A painstaking effort uncovered a continuous trafficking network of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and hashish, sold not only in residential areas but also in the area's most popular seaside resorts. The women of the family also played a key role in the organization. Indeed, some held central roles, serving as contacts for both supplying the pushers and dealing at retail. Others managed the drug dealing and storage, overseeing supplies and deliveries, some of which even took place in the presence of the youngest child of one of the associates. They often used cars belonging to individuals outside the criminal organization, acting as "trailblazers," thus facilitating the movement of the drugs. Another woman, close to the boss, handled the phone calls on her own, arranged meetings with other high-ranking figures in the organization, and effectively acted as "call operator."

WhatsApp and Telegram

In such circumstances, they took special precautions to evade law enforcement, such as using dedicated chats created on difficult-to-access media platforms (WhatsApp and Telegram). Indeed, the two organizations' operations were driven by the use of technology and the widespread use of instant messaging systems by end users, who contacted their preferred pushers to "order" doses. In some cases, the pushers themselves, to ensure the quality of the "product" they were selling, contacted their "customers" again to obtain a "review" of the drug and thus build customer loyalty. The drugs, codenamed with a variety of food or drink names such as "beer" or "homemade bread," were collected from secure hiding places, "prepared" into small doses, and sold to pushers for distribution throughout the country. A proven system that allowed the two factions to accumulate huge profits on the Ionian coast of Salento, until today's decisive intervention.

The accusatory approach of the Lecce District Anti-Mafia Directorate

The overall outcome of the operation is eloquent: ten arrests in flagrante delicto, the seizure of quantities of cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana, enough to flood the region with nearly 5,000 doses for retail distribution. The investigating judge of the Lecce court deemed the investigative evidence acquired by the Carabinieri of the Gallipoli branch to be serious and agreed with the prosecution's position of the Lecce District Anti-Mafia Directorate. He therefore issued the precautionary custody order, which the Lecce provincial Carabinieri command executed. The current suspects, subject to the restraining order, are currently suspected of serious crimes. Their position will be definitively assessed by the court only after a final judgment has been issued, in accordance with the constitutional principles of the presumption of innocence.