THE DIA: ADDITIONAL 9 SUSPECTS OF THE OPERATION SED WERE ARRESTED AFTER PREVENTIVE QUESTIONING.

This morning, the DIA carried out an order issued by the Judge for Preliminary Investigations (GIP) at the court in Bari after the preventive questioning foreseen by our new legislation, which entered into force last August. (Law No. 114, 9 August 2024). Based on this order, 9 suspects were subject to custody (in prison and under house arrests) and 6 suspects to the obligation to stay in the place of residence. They are all suspects of the investigation SED, carried out by the DIA and directed by the Anti-Mafia District Directorate (DDA) in Bari.  

 The suspects were arrested out in Foggia, Naples, San Severo, Manfredonia and in the provinces of Pescara, Campobasso (in the area of Termoli), Venice and Barletta-Andria-Trani based on the charges of the DDA in Bari, which were fully accepted by the GIP (subject to further checks later on in the proceeding with the involvement of the defense lawyer). They are charged of having set up a distribution network trafficking huge amounts of pure cocaine (with a turnover of about EUR 3.5 million). The crime group involved was dismantled with the previous custody order, leading to 12 arrests (11 in prison and 1 under house arrest), which were carried out by the DIA on 23 September 2024, and to the asset-related preventive seizure, with an overall value of over EUR 800,000.

The proceeding is still at the preliminary investigation stage and the suspects can be proved guilty only during the hearing with the involvement of the defense lawyer.

Bari, 2 October 2024.