Following the announcement on 15 January 2025 of the Gioia Tauro seizure, the Guardia di Finanza uncovered on 21 January another 217 kilograms of the drug in a container that had arrived in Livorno from South America. The cocaine, divided into 200 bricks, was hidden within the load of a container that had been unloaded at the Tuscan port from a vessel originating in South America. Authorities estimate the street value of the confiscated drugs to be around €150 million.
Livorno is increasingly emerging as a critical hub for drug trafficking in Italy. In November 2024, an operation coordinated by the Florence Anti-Mafia Prosecutor’s Office led to 30 precautionary measures, including 23 custodial arrests, dismantling a criminal network that smuggled cocaine from Ecuador into Livorno. The drugs were concealed among crates of bananas and exotic fruit. Investigations revealed a sophisticated operation involving specialised teams of "retrievers," primarily Albanians, Romanians, and Italians, supported by accomplices within the port and equipped with GPS trackers to monitor container movements.
The most significant seizure in Livorno in 2024 occurred during the summer, when the Guardia di Finanza intercepted a container carrying 148 kilograms of cocaine, resulting in the arrest of three Albanian nationals. Smaller but still notable seizures were reported in January (28 kilograms), March (two operations of 56 kilograms each), and October (40 kilograms). Additionally, in October 2024, an HGV driver was arrested in Livorno while attempting to board a ferry to Olbia with 23 kilograms of cocaine hidden in his lorry.
