Patrica, Lazio, Italy, April 18 – A significant anti-drug operation conducted by the Rome Mobile Squad, supported by their counterparts in Frosinone, resulted in the seizure of 637 kilograms of hashish and the arrest of three individuals in Patrica, a town in the province of Frosinone. The arrested individuals, a mother and her two children, are now facing charges of possession of a large quantity of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
The Operation: From Initial Discovery to Major Bust
The operation, led by the VII anti-drug section of the Rome Mobile Squad, unfolded last Saturday, though details were only released yesterday. The investigation originated in Rome and expanded to Frosinone following intelligence gathering. Surveillance activities by both Mobile Squads led to a 32-year-old woman, Angela Arduini, being stopped for a personal and vehicle search. During this initial phase, police discovered and seized 660 grams of hashish.
Following this discovery, the investigation quickly moved to a property in the Tomacella area of Patrica. Inside a ground-floor warehouse, police found Angela’s 29-year-old brother, Giuseppe Arduini, and their 63-year-old mother, Mafalda Grande. It was within this warehouse that officers uncovered the substantial cache of 637 kilograms of hashish, along with packaging materials.
A subsequent search of the women’s residence yielded an additional 9,440 euros in cash and further drug packaging materials. The seized hashish was found divided into approximately 100 and 50-gram blocks, stored in a refrigerator and marked with various logos. Authorities estimate that the street value of the seized drugs, once distributed, could exceed 3.5 million euros.
Arrests and Ongoing Investigation
All three individuals – Mafalda Grande, 63, Angela Arduini, 32, and Giuseppe Arduini, 29, all from Frosinone – were arrested. Despite having no previous criminal records, they have been charged with the serious offense of possession for the purpose of trafficking a large quantity of narcotics. They are currently being held in prisons in Rome (Rebibbia and Regina Coeli).
The validation hearing for their arrests took place on Wednesday, confirming their continued detention. The investigation is still in its early stages, with police focusing on tracing the origin and distribution network of the drugs. The primary goal is to identify who the drugs were intended for and the potential recipients who would have placed them on the market.
Historical Context: Previous Major Drug Seizures in Ciociaria
While the recent seizure in Patrica is significant, it is not the largest drug bust in the Ciociaria region’s history. The record belongs to a 2014 operation in Ferentino, where the Rome and Frosinone Mobile Squads seized 670 kilograms of marijuana hidden inside a massive marble block. That operation, on January 10, 2014, required the intervention of firefighters to open the 2.85-meter-high and 2.10-meter-deep block, leading to the arrest of five Albanian nationals.
Later in 2014, on August 17, Carabinieri in Anagni and Massa intercepted a Spanish-registered truck carrying 456 kilograms of drugs, resulting in the arrest of two Romanian individuals. In 2015, 450 kilograms of marijuana were seized in Cassino.
In recent years, drug seizures in the province of Frosinone have shown fluctuating figures:
- January-September 2025: 68.88 kilograms
- 2024: 74.44 kilograms
- 2023: 351.30 kilograms
- 2022: 228.57 kilograms
- 2021: 150.87 kilograms
These statistics highlight the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies in the region to combat drug trafficking, with the latest operation in Patrica marking another substantial victory in this fight.
