The Malta Independent on 28th October reported that Italian authorities made another arrest and seized €55 million in assets linked to the “Dirty Oil” investigation in which Maltese nationals Darren Debono and Gordon Debono were arrested last October. An Italian residing in London, Antonio Desiata, 51, has been arrested and 29 million litres of fuel, 11 properties in Genoa, Trieste and Abbiategrasso and a 14-metre yacht were seized. They are part of the investigation into fuel smuggled out of Libya, to Malta and then onward to Italy. The fuel was subsequently distributed, with false invoices, between the various front companies belonging to the racket in favour of commercial depots and roadside distributors belonging to the so-called ‘white pumps’ circuit scattered throughout Italy, i.e. service stations not belonging to the major petrol brands.
