Italian mafia sourcing drones from black market swelled by the war in Ukraine

Italian criminal groups are showing interest in modern weapons that have appeared on the black market in connection with the Russian-Ukrainian war — including drones and ammunition for them.

This was reported by the ANSA news agency.

Palermo’s chief prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia stated that law enforcement officers have already discovered a shipment of weapons that entered Italy from the Balkans. According to him, the mafia is attempting to rebuild a high-tech arsenal not only in Palermo but also in other regions of the country.

“We have information about the procurement of munitions that are dropped from drones. We are not yet prepared to defend against such weapons,” de Lucia said.

Western media had previously reported that Ukraine could become a major European hub for illegal arms trafficking after the war.

Journalist Tucker Carlson claimed that Ukrainians had sold a vast quantity of American weapons on the international black market, which are now in the hands of armed groups around the world, including Hamas and Mexican drug cartels.