30 arrests in Sicilian drug pusher bust

(ANSA) - PALERMO, MAY 17 - Italian police on Monday arrested some 30 people in a major bust of a Sicilian drug-pushing operation active in the Palermo and Trapani areas.
    Police said the alleged criminal organisation used children to help distribute their drugs.
    The organisation was allegedly based in Partinico near Palermo and extended to other Palermo-area towns like Balestrate, Trappeto, Camporeale, and San Cipirello, as well as Trapania-area towns including Alcamo, Castellammare del Golfo, Santa Ninfa, Gibellina, and Mazara del Vallo.
    Police said the gang controlled "vast" drug pushing activities.
    They said the pushers had "an extremely high number" of regular clients.
    The gangsters allegedly used violent methods to get their drug debts paid, police said.
    They allegedly felt invulnerable to police investigations.
    "We have carried out an investigation that has discovered a network of pushers and couriers who pushed drugs, also using children," said Palermo police chief Leopoldo Laricchia.
    The alleged gang was led by two criminals, one of whom allegedly distributed cocaine while he was taking his granddaughter to her swimming lessons. (ANSA).