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Cercola – An organization specialized in the recycling of luxury cars has ended up in the sights of the Carabinieri of the Tenancy of Cercola, who at dawn yesterday executed an order of pre-trial detention in prison against three men, accused of money laundering, receiving stolen goods, falsification of documents and illegal possession of clandestine weapons.
Those arrested are Aniello Salvatore Montella, 48 years old, originally from Germany and resident in casalnuovo, already detained and reached by the prison provision; Vincent DiCostanzo, 57 years, of Ponticelli; is Cyrus Ricchetti, 53 years, of Volla. None of the three are believed to be linked to organized crime.
The investigation: stolen cars, fake license plates and counterfeit documents
The investigation, coordinated by the Nola Public Prosecutor's Office, started last January, after the arrest of Montella, caught with a pistol with serial number worn off, stolen cars, jammer to disrupt communications, a professional printer for counterfeiting vehicle registration documents, Italian and foreign license plates, as well as Tools to alter chassis numbers.
Subsequent investigations allowed the identification of the role of Montella and his accomplices, specialized in dismantling, modification and re-registration of stolen cars, through the replacement of license plates and the reproduction of false documents. The cars, once "cleaned", were reintroduced onto the used market to avoid checks by the police.
A key element for the investigation was theVideo surveillance image analysis of a parking area in cercola, used as logistics base for assembling and disassembling cars.
The three arrested are currently at the disposal of the judicial authorities and will have to answer to the charges contested.
Article published on 3 April 2025 - 07:18
It is a very complex situation that makes you think about how the used car market can be polluted by illegal activities. Let's hope that the authorities can do a good job in stopping these crimes.