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INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME FIGURES PLEAD GUILTY, GO TO PRISON FOR DRUG TRAFFIC
Originally Posted: February 29, 2000 12:00 AM
Last Updated: October 1, 2001 1:35 PM
Arrests made in June of 1998, after 3 1/2 years of police operation named OMERTA, led to guilty pleas and long prison terms by key members of international organized crime, it was announced in Toronto, Canada.
The group was involved in drug smuggling and money laundering.
Supt. Ben Soave, the Officer in Charge of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, stated: "The events today signal a victory for the public in our ongoing fight against organized crime. The world should be aware that Canadians will not tolerate criminal groups operating in Canada, or using Canada as a haven. There are no untouchables."
Pleading guilty and sentenced in Toronto were:
Alfonso Caruana - 18 years for conspiracy to import and traffic in a
controlled substance
Gerlando Caruana - 18 years for conspiracy to import and traffic in a
controlled substance
Pasquale Caruana - 10 years for conspiracy to import and traffic in a
controlled substance
Giuseppe Caruana - 4 years for conspiracy to launder and possess the
proceeds of crime
Another member of the group, Oreste Pagano, pled guilty on 9 December 1999, to conspiracy to import and traffic in a controlled substance. He was sentenced to time served and immediately extradited to Italy as a cooperating witness.
This criminal organization had been operating for more than 30 years in Canada, Venezuela, Aruba, the United States, Mexico, England, Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain, Thailand, and India. This group was responsible for major shipments of narcotics to both North America and Europe. It laundered its own drug profits as well as providing money laundering services to other criminal organizations.
Project OMERTA was conducted by members of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit in cooperation with; Ontario and Quebec RCMP units, Surete du Quebec, Montreal Urban Community Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, Raggrupamento Operativo Speciale - Carabinieri and Servizio Centrale Operative of the State Police (Italy), Swiss Federal Office for Police Matters, and the Federal Anti Drug Task Force FEADS and PGR (Mexico).
The US Federal program known as Section 1122, "Drug Interdiction" or Centralized Cooperative Purchasing for State and Local Governments did not play a role in the capture of these drug figures.
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