Colombian authorities stated Friday they captured an alleged chief of the Italian ‘ndrangheta mafia in Latin America who’s accused of overseeing cocaine shipments and managing unlawful trafficking routes to Europe.
Police recognized the suspect as Giuseppe Palermo, also called “Peppe,” an Italian who was needed below an Interpol purple discover, which known as for his arrest in 196 international locations.
He was apprehended on the road in Colombia’s capital, Bogota, throughout a coordinated operation between Colombian, Italian and British authorities, in addition to Europol, the European Union’s legislation enforcement company, based on an official report.
Palermo is believed to be a part of “one of the vital tightly knit cells” of the ‘ndrangheta mafia, stated Carlos Fernando Triana, head of the Colombian police, in a message posted on X.
The ‘ndrangheta, one in all Italy’s strongest and secretive legal organizations, has prolonged its affect overseas and is broadly accused of importing cocaine into Europe.
The suspect “not solely led the acquisition of huge shipments of cocaine in Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, but additionally managed the maritime and land routes used to move the medication to European markets,” Triana added.
Unlawful cocaine manufacturing reached 3,708 tons in 2023, a rise of practically 34% from the earlier yr, pushed primarily by the growth of coca leaf cultivation in Colombia, based on the United Nations.
