Colombian officials said on Friday that they captured an alleged leader of the Italian ‘NDRANGHETA mafia in Latin America, who was accused of overseeing cocaine shipment and managing illegal smuggling routes in Europe.
The police recognized the suspect as the Guseppe Palermo, also known as “Paypp”, an Italian who wanted an interpol red notice that called his arrest in 196 countries.
According to an official report, during a coordinated operation between Colombian, Italian and British officials, Law Enforcement Agency of European Union, he was arrested on the road in Bogota, the capital of Columbia.
Palermo is believed to have been considered part of the ‘one of the most tightly knit cells of the NDRGHETA mafia “, Carlos Fernando Triana, the head of the Colombian police, said in a message posted on X.
One of Italy’s most powerful and secret criminal organizations, ‘Ndrangheta’ has increased its influence abroad and is widely accused of importing cocaine in Europe.
The suspect not only led to the purchase of large shipments of cocaine in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, but also controlled sea and land routes used to carry drugs to European markets. ,
According to the United Nations, illegal cocaine production in 2023 rose to 3,708 tonnes in 2023, with an increase of about 34% from the previous year, mainly inspired by the expansion of Coca Leaf cultivation in Colombia.
