Results in the 'Torunlar Operasyonu' in Torino: Over 75 Years in Prison

Yesterday, significant conviction decisions and plea agreements were announced within the scope of the 'Torunlar Operasyonu' (Operazione Grandsons), targeting drug trade conducted between the provinces of Ascoli and Teramo in Italy. The Ancona Court, accepting the requests of the Ancona Public Prosecutor's Office, handed down a total prison sentence exceeding 75 years. Operations carried out by the police in July 2025 had resulted in the dismantling of a vast network where narcotics like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana were organized using the Porto d'Ascoli district of San Benedetto as a hub. The investigation dates back to 2022 and was initiated upon intelligence that the criminal organization led by Vincenzo Marino was organizing drug traffic between Ascoli and Teramo, following information provided by a whistleblower to the Catanzaro Public Prosecutor's Office.

During the investigation process, under the supervision of the Ancona District Public Prosecutor's Office (DDA), 50-year-old Vincenzo Marino, presumed to be the manager of the criminal organization and with numerous prior criminal records, was sentenced to 18 years in prison. It is stated that Marino held a place in the top management of the organization and resided in Monteprandone; since he did not opt for a shortened trial or an agreement (patteggiamento) like other defendants during the trial process, he was tried with the full sentence. Operations carried out with the aim of collapsing the financial networks and leadership structures of the gangs at the center of such cases are seen as part of the struggle against organized crime groups like the 'Ndrangheta within the Italian justice system. The Ancona Public Prosecutor's Office prioritizing the operation strengthens the suspicion that drug sales networks in the region may not just be local, but have national connections.

According to court decisions, Marino's 21-year-old son Giovanni Pio Marino was sentenced to 7 years and 4 months in prison, while Marino's 48-year-old wife Tiziana Giuda accepted a 2-year prison sentence by reaching an agreement with the prosecution. Additionally, 42-year-old Klodian Hymeti, a resident of San Benedetto, received 14 years; 33-year-old Silvi Sida, a resident of Controguerra, received 10 years and 2 months; and 37-year-old Ilaria Rosati, a resident of Monteprandone, received 5 years and 2 months in prison. 40-year-old Valerio Nobili from San Benedetto was sentenced to 6 years and 4 months, 41-year-old Erminia Galiffa to 4 years and 7 months, and 40-year-old Simone Chiavaroli, also from San Benedetto, to 4 years and 8 months. All these defendants were tried on allegations that they had roles in different tiers of the criminal organization at the center of the operation, and most received reduced sentences due to alternative trial methods.

38-year-old Teresa Macrì, a resident of San Benedetto, was also sentenced to 4 years and 10 months in prison, while many defendants preferred to receive lower sentences by agreeing with the prosecution throughout the process. The decisions made at the hearings in Ancona convey the message of the severity of the approach to drug crimes in Italy and that everyone financing or supporting such organizations will be punished. The Ancona Public Prosecutor's Office emphasizes that with this operation, drug trafficking poses a major threat not only materially but also due to its effects on public health and safety. Details of the operation also strengthen the possibility that the criminal organization was not limited to Ascoli and Teramo but spread to a wider network along the Adriatic coast.

The trial of defendants who did not request alternative trial methods and did not reach an agreement with the prosecution will begin at the Ascoli Court on the upcoming November 11. This final case will be the last stage of the process that started with the statement of a whistleblower in 2022 and deepened with the merging of two separate investigations (Catanzaro and Ascoli prosecutor's offices) by the Ancona DDA. The 'Torunlar Operasyonu', which received wide coverage in the Italian press, created a shock effect among local residents while also instilling confidence by highlighting the police force's ability to decipher criminal organizations by monitoring even communications in prisons. Prosecutors had closely monitored the Marino del Tronto prison against the possibility that Marino could continue to manage the criminal organization even while in prison.