3 arrests and seizure of tobacco in Marsala, drug paid for with citizenship income

Last Updated: May 16, 2024

Marsala, droga pagata col Reddito di cittadinanza: scattano altri 3 arresti e il sequestro di un tabacchi

Three men and a woman have been placed under precautionary measures by the carabinieri of Marsala for drug dealing, improper use of citizenship income cards, money laundering, fraudulent transfer of values and extortion. Custody in prison has been ordered for Alessia Angileri, 33, her partner Andrea Nizza, 36, and Alessio Cristopher Pantaleo, also 36, all residents in the popular neighborhood of Sappusi and already in prison as part of Operation Virgilio (11 arrests for drug dealing on February 17, 2023).

In today’s operation, ordered by the judge, at the request of the Prosecutor, the preventive seizure of a tobacco shop in the popular district of Amabilina was also ordered, considered by investigators a real “ATM” for pushers. Means and money amounting to around 50,000 euros were also seized. The owner of the tobacconist, L. M., 32, was subject to the precautionary measure of presenting himself to the public prosecutor’s office with a simultaneous prohibition on exercising business activities.

Angileri and Pantaleo are being investigated for extortion: they allegedly forced the assignees of a public housing in Sappusi to leave the house, threatening to set it on fire before taking possession of it (property of the Iacp), illegally occupying it. The investigation started the day after Operation “Virgilio” – also carried out by the carabinieri of Marsala – which dismantled the historic drug dealing square in Sappusi. In total, last year, there were 14 suspects.

Thanks to the discovery of accounting notes related to the drug dealing activities, further investigations were initiated which allowed the carabinieri to reconstruct the method used by some suspects to obtain payment for the drugs sold (cocaine, crack and heroin). Consumers, often in economic difficulty, would have purchased drugs on credit, leaving their citizenship income cards (with the respective pin) in the hands of the pushers, who, with the complicity of the tobacco shop in Amabilina, would withdraw cash monthly, leaving 10% of the amount withdrawn to the tobacconist.