Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale
Encyclopedia
The Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale (ROS), is part of the Italian Carabinieri
. Founded on 3 December 1990 to coordinate investigative activities against organized crime, it now the main investigative arm of the Carabinieri which deals with organized crime and terrorism. The ROS reports directly to the Carabinieri General Command.
It was created from the remains of the Special Anti-terrorism Unit in the 1970s by General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa
to combat terrorism in Italy. It had centers in Genoa, Naples
, Milan
, Padua
, Rome
and Turin
. Having defeated the Red Brigades
in the 1980s, the Special Anti-terrorism Unit was also employed to investigate organized crime.
The staff of the ROS is extremely specialized and 75 percent of its personnel are officers and non-commissioned officers of the Carabinieri. The other quarter of its members are lower-ranking police officers. In order to encourage synergy with the territorial units, the staff of the ROS often attends professional refresher courses and conferences with the Polizia di Stato
and the Guardia di Finanza
.
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
. Founded on 3 December 1990 to coordinate investigative activities against organized crime, it now the main investigative arm of the Carabinieri which deals with organized crime and terrorism. The ROS reports directly to the Carabinieri General Command.
It was created from the remains of the Special Anti-terrorism Unit in the 1970s by General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa
Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa
Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa was a general of the Italian carabinieri notable for campaigning against terrorism during the 1970s in Italy, and later assassinated by the Mafia in Palermo.-Biography:...
to combat terrorism in Italy. It had centers in Genoa, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. Having defeated the Red Brigades
Red Brigades
The Red Brigades was a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organisation, based in Italy, which was responsible for numerous violent incidents, assassinations, and robberies during the so-called "Years of Lead"...
in the 1980s, the Special Anti-terrorism Unit was also employed to investigate organized crime.
Organization
The ROS command center coordinates the activities of 26 regional anti-crime sections. The headquarters is organized as follows:- Three investigative service centers:
- Organized crime
- Drug trafficking and kidnapping
- Analysis
- An anti-subversion unit
- A technical support unit
The staff of the ROS is extremely specialized and 75 percent of its personnel are officers and non-commissioned officers of the Carabinieri. The other quarter of its members are lower-ranking police officers. In order to encourage synergy with the territorial units, the staff of the ROS often attends professional refresher courses and conferences with the Polizia di Stato
Polizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
and the Guardia di Finanza
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's...
.
Operations
Among the investigative methods used by the ROS, one of most effective and dangerous for the investigator is the undercover infiltration of gangs used in investigations into narcotics, kidnapping, money laundering, and the smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives.External links
- Official site
- Isole nella rete Il ROS è nudo, (The ROS in the News) Information about the service