Naples, the stolen luxury watches hub discovered: young robber arrested

The State Police arrested DBD, born in 2004, pursuant to a precautionary custody order issued by the preliminary investigations judge of the Court of Naples at the request of the local Public Prosecutor's Office.

The 19-year-old is seriously suspected of having committed, on the night of November 25th , in conjunction with other minors, a robbery against a couple of young people who were walking in Via Toledo, stealing a watch and a necklace with a total value of approximately 2.000 euros.

The gang wore hoods and scarves to cover their faces and were armed with a sawed-off shotgun and a homemade single-shot pen gun , of clandestine origin.

The investigative activities were conducted by analyzing and comparing images extracted from video surveillance systems in the area, which revealed the preparatory stages of the robbery—the disguising and swapping of clothes and shoes between the various accomplices—and the actual commission of the predatory act.

This activity is part of a broader investigation, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Naples, aimed at identifying the perpetrators of robberies committed by young criminals in the city center. They stole primarily valuable watches from tourists , which were then resold to local fences for the so-called "second-hand" watch market.

In this context, on February 20, 2023, the Naples Flying Squad carried out searches mandated by the Judicial Authority—in collaboration with the Caserta Flying Squad and the "Poggioreale" Police Station—on several members of a criminal syndicate based in the capital city, dedicated to the receiving of valuable wristwatches from robberies committed throughout Italy and other European countries.

Following the search, a total of €460.000 in cash in large denomination banknotes hidden in a shoe box was found and seized , as well as 24 luxury watches of various brands (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tudor, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille ) without documentation certifying their legitimate origin, blank guarantee certificates or certificates filled out with false information, and numerous parts for assembling luxury watches (dials, cases, straps, case backs, bezels, etc.).

 Among the stolen valuable watches also Richard Mille

In particular, a Richard Mille watch from the very limited “Yohan Blake” series was found , valued at up to 1.700.000 euros.

During the investigation, numerous high-value watches stolen during predatory events were seized, worth a total of over 6 million euros, including a Patek Philippe stolen from a well-known local businessman in Milan last January.