AdBlock Detected

It looks like you're using an ad-blocker!

Our team work realy hard to produce quality content on this website and we noticed you have ad-blocking enabled.

Italian Mafia boss wrongly freed in Barcelona

 


Vittorio Raso is the boss of the Italian Mafia whom the Spanish police have been hunting for two years. He was arrested in Barcelona and later released by the court and disappeared. Raso, 41, is believed to be one of the leaders of the ‘Ndrangheta criminal group’ from the Calabria region of Italy. He was released after making a video to the judge of the Spanish High Court Audiencia Nacional.



The court said that at the time of the first trial, it is believed that the suspect was only wanted for racketeering, and only two hours after his release, Lasso was still the boss of the Mafia. The judge in charge of the case issued a new arrest warrant. Police sources pointed out that the court received extensive police reports explaining who Raso was and a copy of the European arrest warrant issued by Italy. The country later sent more information about the suspect’s connection with organized crime, but by then Raso had been released from a detention facility in Barcelona.


On October 12, the National Police News Department widely disseminated information about the arrests. The criminal suspect is also defined as Fanguilo, “the main figure of the Calabrian organization, whose criminal activities are mainly carried out through drug and weapon trafficking.” The next day, Lasso appeared in front of High Court Judge Alejandro Abascal via a video link. A spokesperson for the Spanish Central Criminal Court said that the European arrest warrant at the time only mentioned the allegations of extortion, which is why he was prosecuted and released.


Police sources urge that they post a three-page report detailing the 15 and 20-year extortion sentences sought and an additional 20 years for drug trafficking against Raso, who was described in the report as a member of the “Ndrangheta”. Two hours after his release, Italian police sent additional information via Sirene, the information exchange system for EU Member States, and attached a second document indicating that Raso was also wanted for drug trafficking as one of the leaders of the ‘Ndrangheta. The judge issued a new arrest warrant, but by then Raso had left his cell at the City of Justice in Barcelona. “Everyone’s looking for him. The houses where he stayed were searched, but no trace of him is found, ”one police source lamented.


Raso used to live in a luxurious villa in Barcelona with sea views. In July of this year, the police learned that he was planning to use a fake ID to take a boat to Brazil. The investigation against him started in October 2018 and is a common case between Spanish and Italian police. He was originally located in Malaga on the Costa del Sol, Spain, and was later found living in Barcelona. When he was arrested, he was carrying a fake ID.



He is wanted on two extortion counts: one occurred in 2012-2016 and the other in June 2016, according to police sources. The victims took out large loans from a criminal group (between € 40,000 and 50,000) and were asked to pay monthly interest of 10%. The payments were allegedly enforced by Raso using violence. He is also accused of trading hashish between Italy and Spain. Following the arrest in Barcelona, ​​Italian police raided the homes of Raso’s associates in Turin and found 360,000 euros, over 13 kilograms of drugs and various weapons. According to figures published by the Catanzaro prosecutor’s office in the Calabrian capital, “Ndrangheta” is the most powerful mafia in Italy and one of the most international “troops”.


Source: elpais.com

Covid-19 Portugal Social issues

Covid: Portugal has 90.3 cases per 100K inhabitants

  According to a joint announcement by the General Administration of Health (DGS) and INSA, Portugal has 90.3 SARS-CoV-2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and its transmission index (Rt) is 0.84.    As stated by official data, the incidence rate was 79.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and the Rt was 0.80 when analyzed in mainland Portugal […]

Read More
COVID19 Europe Italy Social issues

Italy reaches highest COVID-19 levels in several months

  Covid-19 cases in Italy reached their highest level in several months this week due to manufacturing problems that caused vaccines to be shipped to Italy at a slower rate than expected, forcing certain areas to return to confinement to prevent the worst-hit countries in the world to break out again.  Italian officials blamed this […]

Read More
Austria COVID19 Politics Vienna

Vienna: Thousands protest against coronavirus restrictions

  The police said thousands of people took part in the latest protests against coronavirus restrictions in Vienna on Saturday and were arrested for violating the Public Order Act and Covid’s regulations.    Many protesters did not wear masks and did not observe social distancing when they reached the park through the center of the […]

Read More