The 41 bis section of the Viterbo prison has been emptied: there were 41 in the maximum security cells. But dangerous prisoners also arrived from Milan (9), Rome (4), L'Aquila (7), Spoleto (6) and Terni (21): they travelled on military planes which took off from the Lombard capital and from Pratica di Mare towards the military airport in Decimomannu, escorted by an army – divided into various groups – of 207 men from the Mobile Operations Group (Gom). Final destination: Uta prison, maximum security wing.
Here are the numbers from Operation Iride, carried out on September 5th and 6th: the raid that brought mafiosi to Sardinia. Announced and long contested, it was carried out without warning and did not go unnoticed, with the blockade of state roads in the Cagliari hinterland imposed to allow the passage of buses loaded with mafia bosses and high-level criminals.
Protests erupted on the island. In Rome, the Ministry of Justice offices celebrated: "The transfer of 88 inmates subject to the special 41-bis regime to the Uta prison section, specially renovated to accommodate highly dangerous inmates and entrusted to the supervision of the Mobile Operations Unit of Cagliari, demonstrates the extraordinary commitment and incredible professionalism of the prison police," commented Undersecretary of Justice Alberto Balboni at the conclusion of the operation.
The planning of activities, developed through simultaneous and synchronized movements across a broad geographic network, with the activation of a new Mobile Operations Unit, the simultaneous reorganization of other units and the carrying out of extraordinary general searches in the affected sections, with the assistance of the Corps' canine units, is defined as particularly complex.
To ensure the unified management of the operation, the ministry says, an "Operations Support Command Center" has also been established, responsible for monitoring all phases of the operation in real time and ensuring immediate coordination between the operational units involved in the field.
The activities also involved prison police officers trained to operate drones, who were employed to monitor the areas concerned, and personnel specialized in video filming.
"Article 41-bis," Balboni adds, "is the main tool for fighting the mafia and the last bastion of national security. Our legal system and our prison police are an example for many foreign countries that are studying Italy's approach to fighting organized crime."
