Benevento, defrauds the Carabinieri by supplying cartridges with regenerated toner: businessman arrested

A 39 year old entrepreneur originally from Benevento he was arrested following a fraud against the Carabinieri of Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta.

The operation was conducted this morning by the Carabinieri of the Turin investigative unit, following a provision issued by the examining magistrate of the Piedmont capital.

The charges concern fraud and deception in the supply of toner, printer drums, and stationery to public administrations.

The investigation, coordinated by the Turin prosecutor's office and launched last spring, stemmed from an alarm raised by the Carabinieri provincial command. They had reported to magistrates an alleged fraud involving the force, valued at over €115, related to the supply of toner and printer drums used at stations, from small villages to large cities.

Suspicions arose because the supply was not original, as stipulated in the tender won by a Benevento-based company, but rather comprised of remanufactured material. The toner cartridges, seemingly identical to the original from a well-known multinational, featured identification codes and anti-counterfeiting marks, but further checks revealed discrepancies in the production batches.

Furthermore, the toner disposal containers were not regular, violating European regulations on special waste.

Investigations revealed that the Campania-based entrepreneur, specializing in the regeneration of used toner cartridges, purchased used cartridges from a well-known printer company on the market.

After having reloaded and repackaged them, using identical packaging to the originals, he applied labels with non-existent bar codes. The scam involved not only the Carabinieri but also other public administrations

During the operation, the Carabinieri seized approximately 115 euros, proceeds of the alleged fraud, and the warehouse in Benevento containing all the equipment for producing counterfeit toner and drums (photosensitive drums).