TURIN – Twelve diehard Juventus fan group leaders have been arrested in Turin for criminal association, extortion, money laundering and violence linked to ticket sales, police said on Monday.

 Turin police arrested the chiefs of hardcore Juventus supporter groups, Drughi, Tradizione-Antichi Valori, Viking, Nucleo 1985 and Filadelifia following Operation “Last Banner,” an investigation into the blackmailing of ticket officials.

 The heads of the fan groups had set up a criminal association that blackmailed members of Juventus in order to continue to gain cut price tickets for matches at Allianz Stadium, which would then be scalped to other fans, prosecutors coordinating the DIGOS (General Investigations and Special Operations Division) investigation said.

 The investigation began about a year ago when Juventus reported the “ultras” groups for blackmail. 

 After some of the privileges granted the club’s supporter groups stopped, they threatened protest action that would lead to fines for the club.

 The investigation also uncovered the network of compliant ticket offices around Italy that allowed Drughi to illegally recover hundreds of tickets to be resold at higher prices. 

 Investigators filmed dozens of illicit ticket distributors and identified at least eight complaisant betting shops between Turin, Alessandria and Rome. 

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