Drugs from Gargano to the Adriatic coast, the “Evil Dwarf” arrested: he was the invisible director of the trafficking

A major raid by the State Police has put an end to drug trafficking between Gargano, Bat and other Italian regions. Arrested and taken to prison were Elidon Buxheli, 48, known as “Leo – Nano Malefico”, Antonio Rocco Augelli, 61, known as “Tonino bar Jolly”, Angelo Di Nauta , 41, known as “Purnecchj – Attila”, Emanuele Francesco Di Guglielmo, 35, known as “Zuill”, Raffaele Antonio Bramante, 47, Alessandro Maria Colella, 39, Leonardo Cursio, 61, known as “U' Colonnell”, Rosita Sacco, 51, Costantino Folla, 53, known as “U Porc-Suino”, Matteo Salvatore Gualano, 35 and Vito Giannetta, 52. Buxheli, the alleged leader, born in Albania, the others between Lesina, San Severo, Termoli, San Marco in Lamis and Cerignola.

The Albanian allegedly promoted, organized and directed the illegal activity together with Di Nauta and Cursio. According to the more than 100 pages of the precautionary order , the drugs were also placed outside the region, with trips from Lesina to San Benedetto del Tronto where 13 kilos of hashish were allegedly sold. The Ruvo di Puglia area was also targeted.

Unspecified quantities of cocaine were allegedly brought from Lesina to Cerignola by Buxheli himself and the Albanian was also said to have acted as supplier of hashish and white powder to Cursio, Sacco, Folla and Di Nauta.

Buxheli's name recurs insistently in the documents of the order of the investigating judge Bencivenga . He is shy, accustomed to working in the shadows, but according to the investigators he is the director of the drug trafficking that supplies Italian drug dealing areas from the Adriatic coast. A leading figure in the drug market, capable of managing the movement of large quantities of cocaine and hashish, maintaining contacts with the importers.

Hashish trips and the discontent over compensation

The investigations, carried out with stakeouts, shadowing and wiretaps, have revealed a world of assignments planned to the last detail. One of the protagonists, Rosita Sacco , complains upon returning from a trip with her partner Leonardo Cursio : she had been promised 1000 euros to transport 20 kg of hashish. A sum that she judges insufficient for the risks incurred. Cursio replies that the agreements were clear from the beginning and that the sum was the one agreed upon. Indeed, he suggests further trips, with the same methods already “tested”.

The woman, however, is reluctant. She does not want to use the Fiat Panda for transportation, she would prefer a less recognizable car. So the trip is reorganized with an Opel Insignia, again on behalf of Buxheli, and departing from San Benedetto del Tronto. The mission is successful: the police stops the Sacco, but only after the delivery, so the search is negative.

The profile of the Albanian “ghost”

From the papers emerges a precise portrait of Elidon Buxheli: a shrewd, careful, suspicious character to the point of paranoia. He never takes anyone with him, he speaks very little even with his accomplices, he can stay in the car for hours without saying a word. He communicates only via WhatsApp, rarely using the traditional telephone line.

He is so cautious that, during banal conversations, he stiffens if he even vaguely perceives the idea of ​​a wiretap or the presence of an infiltrator. He only frequents "tested" meeting points that are established well in advance. He is the one who supplies Cursio and Sacco with the narcotic substance, managing the contacts and movements like an illegality broker.

Elidon Buxheli is so careful that he has earned the nickname “ Evil Dwarf ” among his accomplices, due to his short stature and obsessive distrust. During the investigation period, he used three cars registered to third parties, but all of them were in fact his exclusive use. Thanks to wiretaps and GPS data, it was ascertained that he frequented the house in via Santa Maria in Campomarino (CB) , where Cursio and Sacco lived together and where the man had been under house arrest since January 2024.

Buxheli regularly visited that house, a sign of a stable and operational relationship with the couple, which acted as a logistical hub for the distribution of drug shipments.

The association with Folla and the drug dealing center

Another central name in the investigation is that of Costantino Folla , a character already known to Cursio and Sacco , with whom he had a long-standing relationship. Precisely by virtue of that trust, he was able to obtain supplies of hashish and cocaine from them, which he then sold to other individuals. It was he who obtained direct contact with Buxheli, becoming a hub in the trafficking.

The documents reveal numerous meetings and contacts between Folla and Buxheli , confirming the solidity of the criminal connection. Folla, in turn, availed himself of the collaboration of Matteo Salvatore Gualano , who had set up a real retail drug dealing center in his own home .

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