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| Provincial Carabinieri Command of Lecce |
LECCE - The Lecce Carabinieri provincial command conducted a major operation against the Sacra Corona Unita (Sacred Crown of One) organization: 22 people arrested and over €800,000 seized. At dawn on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Carabinieri of the Lecce provincial command, following a complex and prolonged investigative effort coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate, carried out a large-scale anti-mafia operation that led to the arrest of 22 people—18 jailed and four placed under house arrest—out of a total of 55 suspects, as well as the precautionary seizure of assets worth over €800,000. The precautionary measure, consisting of 23 measures (one of which was not executed due to the death of the recipient), was issued by the Judge for Preliminary Investigations of the Court of Lecce. Over 100 soldiers took part in the operation, supported by the "Puglia" Helicopter Hunter Squadron, the Bari Dog Unit, the 6th Bari-Palese Helicopter Unit and specialized API and SOS personnel from the 11th "Puglia" Regiment.
The capture of the fugitive Sergio Notaro
The suspects are charged, to varying degrees, with mafia-style association , drug trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking, robbery, aggravated assault, usury, extortion, receiving stolen goods, illegal possession and carrying of weapons and explosives , and procuring evasion of sentence, all aggravated by mafia methods. The in-depth investigation has also identified female operatives with stable roles in drug trafficking networks. The investigations conducted by the Lecce Carabinieri investigative unit began with the capture of fugitive Sergio Notaro, already convicted in the first maxi-trial at the Sacra Corona Unita for membership in the mafia fringe led by Giovanni De Tommasi, active in Squinzano. Notaro, who died in 2022, was wanted for numerous crimes committed between 2008 and 2013, including mafia association under Article 416-bis.
Sources of funding for two operational groups linked to the Sacra Corona Unita
The man was tracked down in an outbuilding in the Melendugno countryside, where he had been hiding for months, thus ending his escape attempt. From this circumstance, the investigation took the conventional title "Escape." Subsequent investigations allowed the reconstruction of the support network that had supported the clan leader's fugitive status and to delineate the structure, roles, connections, and sources of funding of two operational groups linked to the Sacra Corona Unita, active in the Campi Salentina and Squinzano areas: the first led by the arrested fugitive, the second by another member close to the De Tommasi clan. The presence of another organization, with a top-down structure, dedicated to drug dealing in the Campi Salentina, Novoli, and Trepuzzi areas, as well as another syndicate active in drug trafficking in the Casarano area, was also identified. The proceeds of the illicit activities were handed over by the pushers to their respective representatives and subsequently used both to support the inmates and their families and to maintain the clan's economic interests.
Logistics bases for the storage and packaging of narcotics
During Notaro's time as a fugitive, operational management of the group was assumed by his son, who was responsible for collecting the proceeds and coordinating criminal activities, including loan sharking, extortion, drug trafficking, and robberies. Investigations documented the application of usurious interest rates of 10% monthly (equivalent to 120% annually) to local entrepreneurs in financial difficulty, as well as the systematic use of threats and violence to collect drug-related debts. Several logistics bases for the storage and packaging of narcotics, referred to by members as "cds" or "stecche," were also identified. Among these, an amusement arcade in Novoli, considered by investigators to be the drug dealing base, was run by a 49-year-old man arrested along with his partner, who was regularly involved in managing cocaine supplies. Another woman, a 42-year-old from Racale, was remanded in prison, where she had already been held following an arrest in July that resulted in the seizure of nearly 80 kg of narcotics.
Two Albanian citizens arrested after being found in possession of a large quantity of hashish
During the investigation, numerous arrests and seizures were made, totaling approximately 70 kg of drugs (cocaine, marijuana, and hashish). Among the most significant were the arrest of two Albanian citizens found in possession of a large quantity of hashish and marijuana, totaling 30 kg, and the seizure, in Racale, of 3.5 kg of cocaine and 28 kg of marijuana from three individuals already known for drug-related crimes. The investigation also highlighted the group's possession of weapons, which it used to exert control and intimidation in the area. Specifically, in the same Novoli gaming hall, two members fired shots at a fellow member in an intimidating incident related to drug dealing. During a subsequent search, the Carabinieri investigative unit found an arsenal consisting of 9mm and 7.65mm caliber pistols, an MP5 submachine gun, a sawn-off shotgun, an explosive device weighing approximately 2.5kg, and numerous rounds of ammunition, according to a Carabinieri press release.
Lawyer, wife and two minor children held at gunpoint
Investigative efforts have also led to the identification of one of the perpetrators of the robbery committed on September 8, 2019, against a well-known criminal lawyer in Trepuzzi. The suspect, who is under pre-trial detention, is charged, among other things, with mafia association. Analysis of the evidence gathered has allowed the reconstruction of the preparatory phase of the robbery and the methods of access to the home by three hooded and armed individuals who had waited for the victim's return, taking advantage of the darkness of the surrounding pine forest. After striking him in the face, they held a gun to his head, forcing him to enter the home. Inside, the lawyer, his wife, and two minor children were held at gunpoint and forced to remain still. The criminals then forced the lawyer, still under threat, to open the safe, from which they had stolen cash, valuables, and watches, before locking the family in the bathroom and leaving.
Action to combat organized crime carried out by the Carabinieri
The Carabinieri operation represents a significant achievement in the Carabinieri's ongoing efforts to combat organized crime, made possible by close coordination with the judicial authorities and the daily commitment of the units in the area. The operation, in addition to targeting the operational and financial structures of the criminal groups involved, contributes to strengthening the safety of the local community. The proceedings are in the preliminary phase; any guilt regarding the alleged crimes will be determined during the trial, with both parties presenting their evidence.
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