Directing traffic network, Albanian caught with 22kg of cocaine and arsenal

The operation began several days ago, and yesterday carabinieri confirmed the balance behind the checks. Drugs had logos and stamps of known and destined brands for certain cells according to the encoding.

The first search was conducted at the home of a 47-year-old Albanian with criminal precedents located in Asti, in Via Vayra. Inside, a small amount of narcotics and three pistols were found: one in the apartment, one in the garage and one in the suspect's car.

Investigators later moved to a second property, Via Pallio, owned by the suspect. There, they found large quantities of narcotics, as well as two other illegal weapons.

The overall result of the operation is significant: 22 kilograms of cocaine, equivalent to approximately 100,000 doses in the market, worth a market of 5m euros; five stolen pistols -- one with a serial number scratched; a home-made silencer; and more than 200 rounds, including several war ammunition, as well as materials for weighting and packing narcotics.

The Albanian was arrested and sent to Alessandria Prison.

The arrest was the culmination of a long and silent effort, built day after day in the area. For a time, the District Command of Asti's Karabiniers had intensified patrols in designated sensitive areas by catching small signals that, taken individually, might seem insignificant - suspicious movements, frequent visits, brief encounters. This is the typical activity of a continued presence, consisting of patrols, observations and direct knowledge of the local context”, said the official announcement of the Asti Command. /lapsi.al/