In the vicinity of Girona, officers from Spain’s National Police arrested 34-year-old Vittorio Raiola, believed to be the leader of the Orlando-Polverino-Nuvoletta clan, which is linked to the Neapolitan Camorra. Raiola had been on the run since August of last year, after he was sentenced in Italy to more than thirty years in prison for participating in a criminal organization and large-scale drug trafficking.
The operation to capture him began back in February, when Spanish police received information that Raiola might be in the country. He drew attention because he was involved in a case with about thirty other suspects, all linked to international drug trafficking.
The investigation revealed that the fugitive continued his activities in Spain. He used forged documents, rented short-term housing in various areas of Barcelona and Girona, and used phones with Lithuanian and UK numbers for communication. Raiola avoided staying in one place for too long in order to evade police detection.
Investigators determined that he had an extensive network of associates in Barcelona, including relatives and close friends. They handled logistics: assisting with drug transportation, changing vehicles, and finding new apartments. Multiple police units from Madrid and Barcelona were brought in to monitor the suspect’s inner circle.
After eight months of investigation, authorities managed to locate one of the apartments where Raiola was hiding. Surveillance was carried out for several days on a house in a suburb of Girona. When three people left the house and got into a car, officers began to follow them. The vehicle was stopped on the highway near Figueres, with two men and a woman inside. Among them was the Italian fugitive himself.
The detainee is now being held in one of Catalonia’s prisons. Italian authorities have already initiated extradition proceedings so that Raiola can face justice in his home country.
