A BRIDGE TOO FARCE: Mafia’s Botched Bid To Recover Tonne Of Dope From Lorry Destroyed In Morandi Bridge Collapse

Secret undercover tapes have revealed how the Italian Mafia planned to recover nearly a tonne of hashish from a truck destroyed in the Morandi Bridge tragedy.

More than 40 died when the bridge near Genoa partially collapsed four years ago.

Now it has emerged that a Mafia-run chiller truck was also on the bridge containing dope with a street value of EUR 3.6 million (GBP 3.14 million).

A plot on how a mafia don planned to recover the drugs was revealed as part of a later investigation into ‘Ndrangheta activities.

In a telephone conversation between Francesco Benito Palaia, 49 – boss of the ‘Ndrangheta Bellocco of Rosarno clan – and a suspect named as Rosario Caminiti, they discuss how to get it back.

Picture shows investigators at the scene of the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa, Ital, undated. A refrigerated truck loaded with 900 kilogrames of hashish was also involved in the collapse and the Camorra and Ndrangheta tried to retrieve them. (Polizia di Stato/Newsflash)

Palaia reportedly said: “So, when the Morandi bridge collapsed, if you go to the first video, a van fell.

“It’s a yellow euro cargo, you can see it very well because it’s yellow, with a cold room.”

After the truck had been discovered by police in the bridge debris, investigators moved it to a more secure location.

Palaia went on: “They said they had confiscated it but now they have moved it from Latina to Frosinone and there is the possibility of picking it up.

“You need a trolley and I’ll take it directly to Calabria.”

The call emerged from a report about the “Blu Notte” (“Night Blue”) operation of the Reggio Calabria district’s anti-mafia directorate, which led to the arrest of 47 people on Monday, 12th December, with 93 suspects being investigated in total.

Picture shows debris and damaged vehicles at the scene of the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa, Italy, undated. A refrigerated truck loaded with 900 kilogrames of hashish was also involved in the collapse and the Camorra and Ndrangheta tried to retrieve them. (Polizia di Stato/Newsflash)

According to Italian investigators, the drugs were moved to a secure location after the collapse, with the ‘Ndrangheta Bellocco of Rosarno attempting to recover the drugs in March 2020.

The investigation is ongoing.

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