Investigators uncover organization for doping and animal cruelty
Castelvetrano - The Carabinieri have broken up a ring in the province of Trapani that is alleged to have organized illegal horse races. A judge in Marsala issued measures against five main suspects at the request of the public prosecutor's office. One man was banned from remaining in Sicily and four others must report regularly to the police.
The group is strongly suspected of having acted as a criminal organization. It is alleged to have planned and organized the competitions in the rural areas around Castelvetrano. The investigation ran from February 2024 to July 2025 after an environmental protection organization filed a complaint. The officers used surveillance cameras, analyzed cell phones and called in veterinary experts for laboratory analyses.
Organization via messenger app
The gang organized the races professionally via a messenger app. There they collected registrations from jockeys and stables, set dates, drew lots for the starting positions and distributed videos of the races. They had converted and maintained a private agricultural property in the Triscina area into a race track with starting boxes.
The investigations also brought to light serious cruelty to animals. The horses were not only mistreated during husbandry and training, but also systematically doped. Laboratory analyses confirmed the use of banned, performance-enhancing substances. The brutal racing conditions exposed the animals to extreme danger. In one race, a horse suffered a broken leg. In addition to the five main suspects, seven other people who are alleged to have taken part in the races as horse owners or jockeys are under investigation. The investigation is ongoing.
