Friday, May 6, 2016

RCMP swoop on Montreal Mafia again - 13 arrests

The RCMP is carrying out a series of arrests in the Montreal area in what the Mounties are calling the third and last phase of an investigation into the Mafia in Montreal that began several years ago.

Included among the people the RCMP expects to arrest is Liborio (Pancho) Cuntrera, a man who police sources have often described as a potential leader within what remain‎s of the Rizzuto organization. Cuntrera is the son of a now deceased member of the Rizzuto organization who was gunned down in St-Leonard when the Mafia clan was under pressure from rivals about five years ago. He also represents the second generation of a group of well known wealthy international drug smugglers known as the Cuntrera-Caruana organization. According to a release by the RCMP more than 220 kilos of cocaine were seized during the investigation.
Police surveillance photo of Alfonso Caruana on the cover of Toronto Life

Flower cars leave after the funeral of Agostino Cuntrera at Notre Dame Du Mont Carmel church in 2010. Cuntrera, 66, was gunned down outside his food-distribution business in St. Leonard, along with 40-year-old Liborio Sciascia.
Erasmo Crivello, a drug trafficker with known ties to the Rizzuto organization, is also targeted in today’s operation.

Marco Pizzi
Thirteen people have been arrested, while another person has been located in Italy and a 15th is also being sought. The alleged Mafia ring imported a total of 1.4 tonnes of cocaine.

Most live in the Montreal area, although one is currently detained at the Kingston Penitentiary. Among those arrested were Michele Lanni, Carmelo Marsala, Roberto Olaciregui-Martinez, Marco Pizzi, Riccardo Preteroti, and Andreas Tasci

Hansley Joseph