Italian Mafia Boss Gustavo Nocella arrested in Colombia

Italian Mafia boss Gustavo Nocella has been arrested in Medellin, Colombia, Report informs via ColombiaOne.

Known in the criminal underworld as “Ermes,” this 58-year-old man from Naples was captured this morning in his apartment located in the exclusive El Poblado neighborhood.

Nocella’s arrest follows a six-month joint investigation known as Operation Minerva, conducted by the Colombian National Police, Italian Police, the United Kingdom and Europol.

He is suspected of coordinating and facilitating cocaine trafficking from Colombia to The Netherlands, where shipments were distributed across Europe.

According to the police, Nocella is linked to the Italian Mafia clans of Rinaldi-Formicola, Amato-Pagano, and De Micco, all based in Naples.
William Salamanca, director of the National Police, stated, “In the world of drug trafficking, his logistics network was highly regarded, made up of specialized collaborators who performed specific tasks under his strict direction.”

He was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, issued by the anti-drug agency in Naples, and was wanted for criminal conspiracy and drug trafficking. After investigations, authorities established that the Italian Mafia boss was hiding in Medellin, Colombia.

According to the Colombian police, they traced Nocella due to his passion for billiards. A recent order for a billiard table helped authorities locate him at his apartment.

President Gustavo Petro reacted to the arrest, stating, “The fight against drug trafficking is not against the farmers, it’s against the kingpins,” referencing his political stance to reduce the eradication of coca crops, which are the livelihood of tens of thousands of Colombian peasants.