Dhiaddine Baazaoui

The Operation Mosaic arose from the investigative developments following the terrorist attack in Berlin in December 2016. Investigations focused on individuals around the terrorist Anis Amri and disarticulated a criminal network involved in the production and delivery of forged Italian documents to irregulat migrants; Anis Amri himself had been a beneficiary years before. The operation is therefore part of a broader investigation aimed at striking criminal organisations dedicated to criminal activities criminal activities, also instrumental to international terrorism.
Within this context, the figure of Dhiaddine Baazaoui emerged. His profile is linked to the arrest of the Baazaoui (Akram, Mohamed, Dhiaddine, and Rabie), who were accused of participating in a criminal association aimed at document forgery and facilitating illegal immigration. The four have been investigated for crimes under Articles 416 of the Penal Code, as they constituted a transnational association with unidentified individuals residing in Tunisia and France engaged in migrant smuggling. They have also been investigated as they positioned themselves as reference points for at least a hundred migrants, mostly of Tunisian origin, illegally smuggled to Italy. They provided logistical assistance in Naples and then organized their journey to France, manufacturing false Italian documents. Additionally, they are being investigated as they counterfeited certificates and administrative authorizations (driving licenses, vehicle registration documents, residence permits, tax codes), and false documents valid for expatriation (identity cards).
Dhiaddine (Dhia) Baazauoi, born in Tunisia on 15 July 1989 and residing in Naples, participated in the transnational criminal association, carrying out the directives of leaders Akram and Mohamed, particularly by picking up migrants and taking them to prepared accommodations. Like the others, Dhia was fully informed of the arrival of migrants from Tunisia and promptly arranged possible accommodations for newly arrived individuals in Lampedusa. This involved managing migrants through a well-established transnational network capable of providing assistance to irregular migrants. Furthermore, Dhia was contacted every time a landing occured, making their accommodations available or sourcing third-party lodgings. He was in charge of providing sustenance to the arriving migrants, arranged for rest and meals, and even cut their hair to facilitate the taking of photos for use in the preparation of counterfeit identity documents. Dhiaddine oversaw not only the accommodation phase in hotels but also managed the garage where the associates had a veritable stock of ready-to-fill fake documents with the personal details of incoming migrants. Moreover, Dhia was responsible for substantial sums of money derived from the group’s illicit activities. For these reasons, a preventive custody measure in jail has been imposed on Mohamed. Additionally, with the assistance of Akram and Rabie, he was involved in the sale of contraband cigarettes through itinerant stalls outside supermarkets in the Agro Aversano area.