Naples – Fifty euros for a natural death certificate and seventy for a DNA test in the case of cremation: this is the fee of a criminal system that has transformed the management of the deceased into a lucrative business.
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An illegal business that today led to the arrest of 67 people, between prison and house arrest, as part of an investigation conducted by the Carabinieri of the NAS and coordinated by the Naples Prosecutor's Office. Among those under investigation, five medical directors, employees of the ASL Napoli 1 Centro, municipal officials of the civil registry office and about thirty entrepreneurs in the funeral sector, two of whom have since died.
The operation, called “Dear Departed”, brought to light an organised system of corruption, forgery and absenteeism, with over 300 episodes documented in two years of investigations, including through video footage.
During a press conference, the prosecutor of Naples Nicola Gratteri and the deputy prosecutor Sergio Amato illustrated the details of the investigation, which was also attended by the commander of the NAS of Naples Alessandro Cisternino, the general commander Raffaele Covetti and the provincial commander of the Carabinieri of Naples, general Biagio Storniolo.
The crimes: false certificates, corruption and absenteeism
The crimes contested range from criminal association to fraud, passing through forgery, corruption and absenteeism. The forensic doctors of the ASL Napoli 1 Centro, instead of personally carrying out the DNA tests for the identification of the deceased, let the funeral home owners manage everything, using kits already signed and kept in the agencies. "The tests were not done by doctors, but directly by the funeral home owners", explained Gratteri.
During the searches, the NAS military seized dozens of DNA test kits, sums of money yet to be quantified and over 30 thousand euros, as ordered by the GIP decree. The investigation focused on the Chiatamone health district, in Naples, an area already known in the past for episodes related to the so-called "false invalids".
The System: False Certificates and Absenteeism
In addition to crimes related to the management of the deceased, the investigation has brought to light numerous cases of absenteeism among healthcare personnel, as well as the illicit issuance of certificates for disabled passes, issued for a fee. "It is a different investigation," Gratteri emphasized, "which concerns doctors, nurses and companies that manage funeral services, on the management of everything concerning deaths and DNA certifications."
The words of the prosecutor Gratteri
“There are 67 presumed innocent people arrested, between prison and house arrest,” declared the prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, highlighting the scope of a criminal system that exploited the vulnerability of grieving families. The investigation was coordinated by the Public Administration pool of the Naples Prosecutor's Office, led by Deputy Prosecutor Sergio Amato.
The operation represents a severe blow to the illegal business of the “dearly deceased”, a phenomenon that has transformed death into an opportunity for profit, trampling on rights and ethical norms. Now, for the 67 people under investigation, the judicial process begins that will have to shed light on one of the darkest pages of healthcare and funeral management in the Naples area.
Article published on March 11, 2025 - 11pm
