Italian Police Arrest 25 in Reggio Calabria Migrant-Smuggling Probe

Italian police arrested 25 foreign nationals on Tuesday in an international operation codenamed “Medusa,” coordinated by Reggio Calabria’s anti-mafia prosecutors. Investigators say the network, structured into four criminal organisations based in Georgia, Ukraine, Turkey and Moldova, organised clandestine sailboat crossings from Turkish ports to the Calabrian coast. A further 43 individuals are under investigation. Authorities reconstructed more than 30 crossings carried out between 2017 and 2022, estimating that about 2,000 migrants paid the group roughly €10 million. Financial investigations led to the precautionary seizure of assets worth around €3.3 million. The probe was supported by Eurojust, Interpol, Europol and Italy’s international police-co-operation service. In a separate operation the same day, Guardia di Finanza officers seized 417 kg of cocaine hidden in containers at the nearby port of Gioia Tauro, dealing criminal groups an estimated €67 million blow. While the drug haul is not formally linked to Operation Medusa, the two actions underscore intensified law-enforcement pressure on organised-crime activity in the Reggio Calabria area.