Italian authorities have arrested 27 people in a Europe-wide crackdown on two drug trafficking networks, one of which exploited migrants as couriers, the Carabinieri police said Wednesday.
The arrests took place in Italy, Albania, and Spain, with 20 suspects held in custody and seven placed under house arrest.
According to police, a Nigerian-led group recruited young asylum seekers and refugees to transport marijuana across Italy and Europe. A bus terminal near Rome’s Tiburtina station served as a key distribution hub, while a migrant reception center on the city’s outskirts was used as a drug storage site.
A second network, allegedly run by Albanians, smuggled marijuana into Italy via high-speed boats crossing the Adriatic before supplying Nigerian traffickers. Some Albanian suspects also face charges of aggravated extortion against Nigerian buyers who failed to pay on time.
Italy remains a major entry point for migrants arriving by sea from North Africa and Turkey, with nearly 230,000 arrivals recorded since early 2023.
