Italian singer among 15 arrested in connection with Malta-Sicily drug ring

A well-known Italian singer and nephew of a notorious Catanese crime boss is among 15 people arrested across Sicily and Malta in connection with drug trafficking between the two islands.

Vincenzo Pandetta, better known by his stage name Niko, was among a group of people arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking, threatening behaviour and illegal possession of firearms, according to Italian news reports.

Italian media said police carried out operations in Malta on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant, and in parts of Sicily including Catania, and Siracusa as well as southern Italy including Reggio Calabria, Cosenza, Lecce and Prato. 

A further 13 people are under investigation in connection with the operation that allegedly saw cocaine, hashish, and marijuana smuggled between Catania and Malta, Italian news outlets said.

Investigators believe the group was also involved in a recent plot to recover around two tonnes of cocaine from a vessel located off the coast of Catania, which failed after the boat was seized by the Catania financial crimes squad.

Pandetta is a well-known figure in the Italian trap music scene, a sub-genre of hip-hop. The singer has amassed hundreds of thousands of monthly streams on music distribution platforms.

He is also the nephew of Salvatore "Turi" Cappello, an infamous crime boss who emerged in the 1980s and who was thought to have been linked to the deaths of some 200 people.

Pandetta has been serving time in prison since his arrest two years ago, from where he is believed to have coordinated parts of the operation, Italian media said.

His lawyers have strenously denied his involvement in criminal activities and said they will demonstrate his innocence during an upcoming preliminary hearing, adding that while he was Cappello’s nephew, he had “never been a member of the clan”.

'Operation Abyss'

Police seized cash, businesses, movable and immovable property worth a total €700,000 during raids across Sicily and Malta. Thirteen cars and motorcycles, 10 properties and a catering business were among the property seized in the operation.

The investigation, designated “Operation Abissio [abyss]”, has already yielded four arrests and more than 25kg of illicit drugs, Italian media said.

Investigators believe the group is linked to the Catania-based "Cappello-Bonaccorsi" clan and worked to supply narcotics to the "Borgata" group, a branch of the Syracuse-based "Santa Panagia" crime syndicate.

Those arrested are currently being held by police pending trial.

The operation was carried out by some 110 police officers under the direction of the Catania Economic and Financial Police Unit, supported by Etna's canine and anti-terrorism rapid response units and territorial units from Catania.

Air units from Catania and Messina were also involved in the raids, news outlets said.

This is not the first time the Sicilian mafia has hit the headlines in recent days. The Sicilian parent company of a Maltese car rental franchise, Sicily by Car, has experienced a wave of violent 'mafia' attacks in Palermo that investigators believe are part of a wider campaign of intimidation and violence targeting businesses.

The campaign is feared to signal a mafia desire to reassert its influence in southern Italy, driven by younger members of the Cosa Nostra.

Questions were sent to the Malta Police Force.