In a major drug bust, Italian police have concluded two separate operations in the Milan area, leading to the seizure of at least 202 kilograms of cocaine and the arrest of three Albanian nationals suspected of being involved in drug possession and distribution.
 |
| Cocaine sised by Italian Police |
According to Italian media reports, the seized cocaine is valued at over €15 million on the black market. Among the items confiscated were also €80,000 in cash, of which €18,000 were found to be counterfeit. Investigators suspect that the group either used counterfeit money to purchase drugs or received fake currency as payment, manipulating transactions.
One vehicle was intercepted in Milan, while four cars—an Audi A4, a Peugeot 508, a Chevrolet, and an Alfa Romeo Mito—were discovered in a cemetery parking lot in Agrate, concealing 160 kilograms of cocaine. The cars were equipped with sophisticated hidden compartments, activated electronically, where the white powder was stashed, still packaged and ready for distribution.
Raid at the Cemetery
The operation began on Friday morning in Milan, where military personnel, who had been monitoring the suspects' movements for some time, stopped a 53-year-old Albanian man on via Ampére, in the area between Città Studi and Loreto. Inside his Hyundai IX35, authorities found 60 kilograms of cocaine. The man, a resident of Milan, was alone in the vehicle at the time of the arrest. During a search of his residence, police also discovered €80,000, including the counterfeit €18,000.
The second part of the operation took place in Brianza. Simultaneously, several police patrols descended on a cemetery parking lot in Agrate Brianza, where they arrested two additional Albanian suspects, aged 44 and 37. Both men lived nearby in an apartment building on Via Ghiringhella. The 160 kilograms of cocaine were hidden in four parked cars at the cemetery.
The arrests and seizures mark a significant victory in the fight against drug trafficking in the region, highlighting the sophisticated methods used by criminal groups to smuggle large quantities of narcotics across Italy.