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DE RUEHRO #1222/01 3071522
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O 031522Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2851

UNCLAS ROME 001222 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT 
(INCRS) 
 
REF: STATE 97228 
 
Italy 
 
¶I. Summary 
 
Italy is a consumer country and a major transit point for heroin 
transiting from the Middle East and Southwest Asia through the 
Balkans and for cocaine originating from South America en route to 
western and central Europe. Italian and Italy-based foreign 
organized crime groups are heavily involved in international drug 
trafficking. The Government of Italy (GOI) is firmly committed to 
the fight against drug trafficking domestically and internationally. 
The Berlusconi government continues Italy's strong counternarcotics 
stand with capable Italian law enforcement agencies. GOI cooperation 
with U.S. law enforcement agencies continues to be exemplary. Italy 
is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
 
II. Status of Country 
 
Italy is mainly a narcotics transit and consumption country. Law 
enforcement officials focus their efforts on heroin, cocaine, 
hashish and synthetic drugs. Although Italy produces some precursor 
chemicals, they are well controlled in accordance with international 
norms and are not known to have been diverted to any significant 
extent. Law enforcement agencies with a counternarcotics mandate are 
effective. 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2008 
Policy Initiatives. Italy continues to combat narcotics aggressively 
and effectively. In 2006, Italy adopted a tough new drug law that 
eliminates distinctions between hard and soft drugs, increases 
penalties for those convicted of trafficking and establishes 
administrative penalties for lesser offenses. All forms of 
possession and trafficking are illegal but punishment depends on the 
severity of the infraction. Stiff penalties for those convicted of 
trafficking or possessing drugs include jail sentences from six to 
20 years and fines of over $300,000. The law provides alternatives 
to jail time for minor infractions, including drug therapy, 
community service hours, and house arrest. 
Italy has contributed an average of $12 million to UNODC, over the 
last several years, making it one of the largest donors to the UNODC 
budget. However, recent budget cuts will reduce future 
contributions.  Italy has supported key U.S. objectives at the UN 
Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), and chairs the Dublin Group of 
countries coordinating narcotics sector assistance projects for 
Central Asia. 
Law Enforcement Efforts.  The fight against drugs is a major 
priority for the National Police, Carabinieri, and Guardia di 
Finanza (GdF) counternarcotics units. The Italian Central 
Directorate for Anti-Drug Services (DCSA) coordinates the 
counternarcotics units of the three national police services and 
directs liaison activities with the United States Drug Enforcement 
Administration (DEA) and other foreign law enforcement agencies. 
Working with the liaison offices of the U.S. and western European 
countries, DCSA has 22 drug liaison officers in 20 countries 
(including the U.S.) that focus on major traffickers and their 
organizations. In 2006, DCSA stationed liaison officers in Tehran, 
Iran and Tashkent, Uzbekistan; in 2007 they added liaison officers 
in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Islamabad, Pakistan. 
Investigations of international narcotics organizations often 
overlap with the investigations of Italy's traditional organized 
crime groups (e.g. the Sicilian Mafia, the Calabrian N'drangheta, 
the Naples-based Camorra, and the Puglia-based Sacra Corona Unita). 
Additional narcotics trafficking groups include West African, 
Albanian, and other Balkan organized crime groups responsible for 
smuggling heroin and cocaine into Italy. In 2009, Italian drug 
investigations revealed that Serbian groups have begun importing 
large quantities of cocaine (+100 kg shipments) into Italy. 
Colombian, Dominican, and other Latin American trafficking groups 
are also involved in the importation of cocaine. Italian law 
enforcement officials employ the same narcotics investigation 
techniques used by other western countries. Adequate financial 
resources, money laundering laws, and asset seizure/forfeiture laws 
help ensure the effectiveness of these efforts. 
From January 1 to June 30, 2009, Italian authorities seized 2,473 
kilograms of cocaine; 690 kilograms of heroin; 10,264 kilograms of 
hashish; 2,272 kilograms of marijuana; 27,400 marijuana plants; and 
52,958 doses of synthetic drugs.  The single largest drug seizures 
during the same period were:  January 2009 - 28,700 tablets of 
ecstasy in Turin; April 2009 - 180 kilograms of heroin in Milan; 
April 2009 - 723 kilograms of marijuana in Ancona; May 2009 - 2,010 
kilograms of hashish in Naples; June 2009 - 400 kilograms of cocaine 
in Padua.  Also during this period, 14,412 individuals were arrested 
in Italy on drug-related charges, 1,721 of which were arrested for 
the more serious drug trafficking / conspiracy violations.  64% of 
those arrested were Italian nationals, while the remaining 36% of 
the arrestees were primarily Moroccan, Tunisian, Albanian and 
Nigerian nationals. 
The DEA Rome Office is coordinating a container flow analysis 
between Italy and Ecuador at the request of law enforcement 
authorities in both countries as a result of significant numbers of 
cocaine seizures in recent months on shipments to Italy originating 
 
in Ecuador, including a 400 kilogram cocaine seizure in June 2009 in 
Padua and another 200 kilograms of cocaine seized at the Calabrian 
port of Gioia Tauro in October 2009. 
Between May and June 2009, the DEA Rome office coordinated 
multi-lateral assistance with the Italian Guardia di Finanza in an 
investigation into a Rome-based Italian organized crime group 
responsible for the importation of significant quantities of cocaine 
into Europe utilizing Colombian cocaine brokers resident in Europe 
with sources of cocaine supply in Colombia and Venezuela.  This 
investigative effort resulted in the maritime seizure of 
approximately 300 kilograms of cocaine and utilized the modern and 
sophisticated air and sea assets available to the Guardia di 
Finanza. 
In late 2008, the DEA Milan office and the Italian Carabinieri in 
Milan initiated a hashish and cocaine trafficking investigation 
targeting a Moroccan trafficking organization based in Milan, that 
was smuggling large quantities of hashish from Morocco and 
multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from South America, both for 
distribution in northern Italy.  The investigation ultimately 
yielded the January 2009 seizure of 1,200 kilograms of hashish from 
a tractor trailer in Italy. Numerous associated arrests and 
additional hashish, cocaine and money seizures were also conducted 
throughout the course of the investigation. 
In 2009, Italian law enforcement agencies concluded several 
long-term criminal investigations targeting drug trafficking 
organizations operating throughout the country.  Operation Red Man 
(Operazione Uomo Rosso) began in 2007 and targeted two West African 
criminal groups responsible for transporting cocaine and heroin from 
the Netherlands to Italy. The investigation linked the African 
groups to members of rival Italian Camorra (Naples-based) organized 
crime families and resulted in the arrest of 74 individuals and the 
seizure of cocaine, heroin and marijuana.  Operation Como Hills 
(Operazione Colline Comasche) began in 2006 and targeted a large 
network of Albanian nationals operating in northern Italy and 
Tuscany. This organization was responsible for importing cocaine 
into Italy from the Netherlands and drug distribution throughout 
Europe. The investigation resulted in the seizure of cocaine and 
heroin and the arrest of 174 people.  In June 2009, Italian police 
officials in Trento and Genoa concluded Operation Sutka (Operazione 
Sutka) with the arrest of 49 members of a predominately ethnic 
Romanian crime group importing cocaine from Spain.  Over the course 
of this two-year investigation, Italian law enforcement seized 36 
kilograms of cocaine and 60 kilograms of marijuana. 
From 2009 to 2009, the DEA Rome office, in conjunction with Italian 
law enforcement officials and numerous other DEA domestic and 
foreign offices, participated in a multinational and 
multi-jurisdictional enforcement action-dubbed Operation 
Reckoning-which targeted a significant element of the Mexican based 
"Gulf Cartel" responsible for importing multi-ton quantities of 
cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana from Mexico for 
distribution in the U.S. and elsewhere, including Italy. The joint 
DEA and Italian Carabinieri investigation targeted 'Ndrangheta 
organized crime cells operating between Calabria, Italy and New York 
City as part of the overall operation. In mid-September 2008, ten 
other subjects were arrested in Italy and six were arrested in New 
York. This investigation has increased law enforcement attention and 
focus on drug trafficking links between Italy and Mexico. 
Agreements and Treaties. Italy is a party to the 1961 UN Single 
Convention as amended by its 1972 Protocol, as well as the 1971 UN 
Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention. Italy is a party to the UN Convention against 
Transnational Organized Crime and its three protocols and ratified 
the UN Convention against Corruption in August 2009.  Italy has 
bilateral extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties with the 
U.S. In 2006, the U.S. and Italy signed bilateral instruments on 
extradition and mutual legal assistance to implement the U.S.-EU 
Agreements on Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance signed in 
2003; Italy has yet to ratify these instruments. In fact, Italy is 
one of only three EU countries that have failed to ratify the new 
network of bilateral extradition and mutual legal assistance 
treaties with the U.S. The other two countries are Greece and 
Belgium. 
Cultivation /Production. There is no known large-scale cultivation 
of narcotic plants in Italy, although small-scale marijuana 
production in remote areas does exist mainly for domestic 
consumption. No heroin laboratories or processing sites have been 
discovered in Italy since 1992. However, opium poppy grows naturally 
in the southern part of Italy, including Sicily. It is not 
commercially viable due to the low alkaloid content. No MDMA-Ecstasy 
laboratories have been found in Italy. 
Drug Flow/Transit. Italy is a consumer country and a major transit 
point for heroin coming from southwest Asia through the Balkans en 
route to western and central Europe. A large percentage of all 
heroin seized in Italy is shipped from Turkey through overland 
routes in Balkan countries. Balkan heroin traffickers work with 
Italian criminal organizations as transporters and suppliers of 
drugs. Heroin is smuggled into Italy via automobiles, ferryboats and 
commercial cargo. Italy maintains liaison offices in Ankara and 
Istanbul, Turkey to assist counterparts in interdicting narcotics 
originating there and destined for Italy. 
Almost all cocaine found in Italy originates with Colombian and 
other South American criminal groups and is managed in Italy by 
Calabria and Campania-based organized crime groups. Multi-hundred 
 
kilogram shipments enter Italy via seaports concealed in commercial 
cargo. Although the traditional Atlantic trafficking route is still 
in use, stepped-up international scrutiny and cooperation are 
forcing traffickers to use alternative avenues. As noted above, in 
2009, Italian drug investigations have identified increased activity 
by Serbian criminal groups involved in the importation of large 
amounts of cocaine. 
Italian officials have detected traffickers using transit ports in 
West Africa where drugs are off-loaded to smaller fishing vessels 
that ultimately reach Spain and other Mediterranean destinations. 
Cocaine shipments off-loaded in Spain, the Netherlands and the 
Balkan Region are eventually transported to Italy and other European 
countries by land vehicles. Smaller amounts of cocaine (usually 
concealed in luggage) enter Italy via express parcels or airline 
couriers traveling from South America. 
Ecstasy found in Italy primarily originates in the Netherlands and 
is usually smuggled into the country couriers utilizing commercial 
airlines, trains or land vehicles. The couriers originating in 
Amsterdam often conceal thousands of Ecstasy tablets in luggage and 
travel by train or airline to Italy.  The EU's open borders make 
this journey somewhat less risky. 
Hashish comes predominately from Morocco through Spain, entering the 
Iberian Peninsula (and the rest of Europe) via sea access points 
using fast boats. As with cocaine, larger hashish shipments are 
smuggled into Spain and eventually transported to Italy by vehicle. 
Hashish is also smuggled into Italy on fishing and pleasure boats 
from Lebanon. 
Catha Edulus (aka Khat) is a shrub grown in the southern part of 
Arabia and Eastern Africa, primarily in the countries of Yemen, 
 
Somalia, and Ethiopia. The leaves of this plant contain the 
alkaloids cathine and cathinone (chewed for stimulant effects), 
which are controlled substances in Italy and the U.S. Italy is one 
of several European countries used by East African trafficking 
organizations for the transshipment of khat to major urban areas 
across the U.S. These organizations primarily use international 
parcel delivery systems and airline passenger luggage to transport 
multi-kilogram to multi-hundred kilogram quantities of khat. Italian 
law enforcement officials continue to cooperate with DEA in joint 
investigations targeting these groups in Italy and the U.S. 
Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction. The GOI promotes drug prevention 
programs using abstinence messages and treatment aimed at the full 
rehabilitation of drug addicts. The Italian Ministry of Health funds 
555 public health offices operated at the regional level; the 
Ministry of Interior identified 726 residential, 210 
semi-residential facilities, and 188 walk-in facilities. Of about 
500,000 estimated drug addicts and 385,000 estimated eligible for 
treatment in Italy, 174,000 receive services at public agencies. 
About 71 percent of the total used heroine. Others either are not 
receiving treatment or arrange for treatment privately. The 
government continues to promote more responsible use of methadone at 
the public treatment facilities. Regional and local governments 
spent about 32 million Euro for drug prevention programs. 
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
Bilateral Cooperation. The U.S. and Italy continue to enjoy 
exemplary counternarcotics cooperation. In January 2007, the Italian 
Central Directorate for Anti-Drug Services (DCSA) hosted a working 
group conference of law enforcement counterparts from Europe and 
Africa as part of the DEA's annual International Drug Enforcement 
Conference (IDEC). At the July 2008 IDEC, the Director of DCSA met 
with DEA's Acting Administrator in furtherance of bilateral 
cooperation and operations. DEA and DCSA personnel continue to 
conduct intelligence-sharing and coordinate joint criminal 
investigations on a daily basis. Based on the October 1997 
International Conference on Multilateral Reporting in Lisbon, 
Portugal, the DEA Headquarters Chemical Section and DCSA continue to 
exchange pre-shipment notifications for dual-use drug precursor 
chemicals. (Note: Italy has not been identified as a significant 
international producer or distributor of methamphetamine precursor 
chemicals.) 
In June 2008, the Italian 'Ndrangheta Organized Crime group was 
added to the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Asset 
Control (OFAC) Foreign Drug Kingpin list after close coordination 
between American and Italian counterparts. The designation by 
President Bush is aimed at reducing the ability of 'Ndrangheta 
members to use the U.S. and international banking systems in 
furtherance of their drug trafficking operations. The GOI's stated 
intention to enforce the provision is an indication of the Italian 
government's commitment to target and dismantle 'Ndrangheta's 
financial infrastructure. During 2009, DEA continued the Drug Sample 
Program with the GOI, which consists of the analysis of seized 
narcotics to determine purity, cutting agents, and source countries. 
From October 2008 to September 2009, DEA received approximately 65 
samples of heroin, cocaine, and Ecstasy. The sample collection from 
Italy and other Balkans countries is essential in determining 
production methods and trafficking trends that ultimately impact 
Italy. 
DEA independently conducted drug awareness programs at international 
schools in Rome and Milan. DEA also provided training to Italian 
counterparts on asset forfeiture and drug law enforcement 
operations. 
The Road Ahead. The USG will continue to work closely with Italian 
officials to break up trafficking networks into and through Italy as 
well as to enhance both countries' ability to apply effective demand 
 
reduction policies. The USG will also continue to work with Italy in 
multilateral settings such as the Dublin Group of countries that 
coordinate counternarcotics and UNODC policies.