The traditional pattern of cocaine shipments to Europe involves large consignments in containers shipped from a South American port, heading to a major European hub, which in Italy is predominantly Gioia Tauro. However, a new pattern emerged at the end of March 2024, implicating China. The Finance Police (Guardia di Finanza) discovered a shipment of 150 kilograms of cocaine in a container that landed in the Calabrian port from the Asian country. The operation was coordinated by the District Attorney's Office under the direction of Prosecutor Giovanni Bombardieri. The surprising origin of the shipment opens new investigative scenarios, marking the first time such a sizable cocaine transport from the Asian country to the Calabrian port has been identified. The drugs were immediately sent for laboratory analysis to determine their purity and active ingredient, in an effort to trace the routes and connections of this traffic.
