Livorno - The carabinieri in the Tuscan port city of Livorno have struck a decisive blow against the local drug scene with a major operation. Today, Wednesday morning, more than 150 officers carried out "Operation Garibaldi", which was directed against a long-established drugs hub in the heart of the city. As a result, 15 court orders were executed, including five arrest warrants and nine residence bans. Searches are underway against 38 other suspects.
A drug market under the eyes of children
The months-long investigation focused on Piazza Garibaldi and the adjacent alleyways. Although centrally located, the area had become synonymous with squalor and crime. Dealers sold cocaine, hashish and other substances around the clock - often in broad daylight and in the immediate vicinity of playgrounds where families with children were playing. This open scene created a widespread feeling of insecurity among residents and regularly led to violent confrontations and drug-related crime.
Months of investigation with shocking details
Since September 2024, the Carabinieri have been targeting the drugs market with undercover observations and video surveillance. The investigators were able to document over 430 drug sales. Particularly alarming: there was evidence that several minors were among the buyers. In one particularly shocking case, a drug user brought his two-year-old son with him to buy drugs; the Carabinieri immediately called in the juvenile court. The operation broke up a structure that, according to investigators' estimates, was turning over around 1,000 euros a day. Deportation proceedings were initiated for 22 illegal immigrants without criminal suspicion who were found in the course of the investigation.
