Around 10 a.m. local time today, in Pattaya, Thailand, a special team from the Crime Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police and Interpol Rome, coordinated by the Security Expert of the Central Directorate of Criminal Police and in collaboration with the Investigative Unit of the Carabinieri in Milan, arrested an Italian fugitive couple. The operation, dubbed "Italian Bonnie & Clyde," involved physical and electronic surveillance, including the use of a drone. The couple, Francesco Galdelli and Vanja Goffi, already wanted for property crimes, had come to the forefront of the news for orchestrating multiple large-scale scams in Italy, the most high-profile of which was to the detriment of Hollywood star George Clooney, by creating a clothing line under the unsuspecting actor's name. The pair sold fake Rolex watches online, passing them off as genuine, sometimes sending buyers a packet of salt instead. Galdelli had already been arrested on July 25, 2014, at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Pattaya, following an operation coordinated by Interpol. The following day, however, he managed to escape from the local court, where he had been taken to face minor charges, specifically illegal residence in Thailand. An internal investigation, launched following a strong letter of protest sent to the Thai Police Chief by our ambassador in Bangkok, revealed that Galdelli had bribed the prison guards in charge of his transfer, handing him 20 Baht (approximately €500), which he had collected from a cash machine in front of the guards. The prison officers found responsible for the escape were arrested and dismissed from duty. Thanks to tailing, the couple was eventually located in a luxury villa, which was surrounded to prevent any escape route. The officers then raided the home and arrested the two wanted men. Galdelli and Goffi will be transferred to the Immigration Bureau detention center in Pattaya, pending the completion of extradition procedures to Italy.
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