Naples, drugs, cell phones and weapons in prisons: 22 arrests, there is also the "magician" of drones

Twenty-two people have been arrested as part of an investigation conducted by the Naples District Anti-Mafia Directorate into the smuggling of firearms, drugs, and cell phones into several prisons across Italy, some of which house maximum-security inmates. Among them is a drone expert capable of modifying drones to carry heavier loads.

The order from the examining magistrate of Naples was executed by personnel from the Central Investigative Unit of the Penitentiary Police, the Central Operations Service of the State Police, the Flying Squads of Frosinone and Naples, and the Sisco of Naples.

The suspects are involved in crimes ranging from mafia-type association to drug trafficking, firearms possession, and unauthorized access to communication devices by inmates.

The investigation began in April 2021 following the discovery of cell phones in Secondigliano prison, involving the Central Investigative Unit of the Penitentiary Police. Subsequently, the investigation merged with another conducted in parallel by the Frosinone Flying Squad, also delegated by the Naples DDA. This latter investigation stemmed from a confrontation that occurred on September 19, 2021, in Frosinone prison.

Investigations revealed the existence of a criminal network that guaranteed inmates a constant supply of phones and drugs in multiple prison facilities across Italy. Criminal organizations, particularly those of the Camorra, maintained a monopoly on distribution within the affected prisons, exploiting external collaborators to smuggle the items and substances.

A 52-year-old man has been identified as the person responsible for modifying drones to fly over military areas and carry heavier loads. Technical analyses of the seized drones confirmed the modifications made to the devices.

During a search coordinated by the Naples District Anti-Mafia Directorate and conducted by the State Police and the Penitentiary Police, a large quantity of cocaine was discovered by Spike, the Penitentiary Police's drug-sniffing dog. The blitz also involved the police forces of Frosinone and Naples, in addition to the Central Investigative Unit of the Penitentiary Police and the canine handlers of the Penitentiary Police's Anti-Drug Detachment.

Giuseppe Moretti and Ciro Auricchio, president and regional secretary of the USPP, respectively, praised the operation and Spike's crucial contribution to combating drug trafficking in prisons. They emphasized the importance of equipping prison police with technologically advanced tools, such as jammers, to effectively combat this scourge within prisons.

"Congratulations on this brilliant operation," commented Giuseppe Moretti, president and regional secretary of the USPP, and Ciro Auricchio. "Spike, the dog from the Avellino dog group, is becoming a nightmare for drug dealers, not only in prisons where a daily war is waged due to constant attempts to smuggle cell phones and narcotics." "Prison police must be equipped with technologically advanced tools such as jammers and signal inhibitors to eradicate this scourge in prisons where, despite a shortage of 600 officers, they are still managing, with great sacrifice, to maintain order and security."