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the case
'Ndrangheta, Francesco Barbaro and the legacy of his father Rocco: he too disappeared into thin air
The 35-year-old, son of "U Sparitu", was not found by the ROS Carabinieri at the time of notification of the arrest
Published: 12/16/2024 – 11:43

Francesco Barbaro has disappeared into thin air. As highlighted, when the Carabinieri del Ros showed up at his door to notify him of the arrest warrant for the operation called “Samba” , the 35-year-old was not present at home. An absence that in some ways is not surprising, considering the family context and the tradition of being a fugitive that seems to run through the generations of his family. Francesco, in fact, is the son of Rocco Barbaro (pictured) , known as “U Sparitu”, for a long time considered one of the most wanted fugitives in Italy and a prominent figure in the panorama of the Lombard 'ndrangheta.
Rocco Barbaro, over the years, had gained fame as «the boss of bosses» of the Calabrian 'ndrangheta in Northern Italy , so much so that he ended up in the crosshairs of law enforcement for his leading role in drug trafficking. In 2017, after years of being a fugitive, he was arrested in Platì and sentenced to 16 years in prison. However, his release in 2022 did not represent the end of his influence on the territory. The tradition of “disappearing”, of staying in the shadows and escaping justice, continued with Francesco, known as “Ciccio Salsiccia” in the DDA investigation. He is accused of having been one of the main protagonists in the drug trafficking that involved several European countries . According to the investigations, he would have financed, received and distributed huge quantities of cocaine , until 2020. His criminal activities were not limited only to drug trafficking, but also extended to the management of contacts between clans.
One of the key episodes of the investigation concerns a shipment of 440 kilos of cocaine, coming from Brazil and headed to Italy. The shipment, which left Malaga in 2019, was supposed to cross the Mediterranean to reach Italy. The chats decrypted by the investigators revealed the disappointment of the drug traffickers for the failure of the trafficking.
The investigation also highlighted the strong network of family relationships and trust between the Barbaros and other clans, such as the Agresta and Assisi . In one of the wiretaps, Francesco reports to another person involved in the investigation, Vincenzo Pasquino, that his father, Rocco, would be released from prison shortly. In confirmation of these strong alliances, Francesco would also have arranged for packages to be delivered to several members of the clan in prison.

Operation “Samba”
With the operation “Samba” of the Turin DDA and the Carabinieri, a heavy blow was struck to international drug trafficking, with the seizure of tons of cocaine, 23 arrests (5 in Italy and 18 in Brazil) and the blocking of millions of euros laundered through a network of fictitious companies and real estate. This is a transnational criminal network closely linked to the Piedmontese 'ndrangheta and the locals of Volpiano and San Giusto Canavese. (fv)