Colombia Nabs Alleged ‘Ndrangheta Cocaine Kingpin in Major International Operation

Colombian authorities, in a significant international collaboration, have successfully apprehended Giuseppe Palermo, an alleged high-ranking leader of Italy’s notorious ‘Ndrangheta mafia. Palermo, also known as “Peppe,” was targeted under an Interpol red notice and is accused of orchestrating vast cocaine shipments and managing illicit trafficking routes stretching into Europe.

The arrest occurred on a recent Friday in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, following a coordinated effort involving Colombian, Italian, and British law enforcement, alongside Europol. Police chief Carlos Fernando Triana highlighted Palermo’s central role within “one of the most tightly knit cells” of the ‘Ndrangheta, a powerful and clandestine criminal organization known for its global reach and dominance in European cocaine importation.

Palermo is suspected not only of overseeing the purchase of substantial cocaine quantities from Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador but also of controlling the crucial maritime and and land logistics for transporting these drugs to European markets. This capture strikes a significant blow against the global illicit drug trade, estimated to be worth over $500 billion annually, and underscores the growing international influence of groups like the ‘Ndrangheta amidst rising cocaine production, which surged by nearly 34% in 2023.

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