Naples – The State Police continues its relentless efforts to combat drug dealing and illegal possession of weapons in the city center. As part of the extraordinary operations deployed by the Police Headquarters, three men, all with criminal records, have been arrested in the last 24 hours.
A 44-year-old Neapolitan man and two 46-year-old Moroccans were arrested, the latter also charged with illegal residence in Italy.
The scooter chase and the 2 kilos of hashish
The first intervention took place on Via San Cosmo Fuori Porta Nolana, where officers from the Vasto-Arenaccia police station intercepted a scooter driven by a man with a large bag over his lap. When ordered to stop by the officers, the driver attempted to flee, but was apprehended shortly thereafter on Via Gian Battista Manzo.
During the search, the man was found in possession of approximately €4.000 in cash, divided into banknotes of various denominations. Inside the bag, the officers found 21 blocks of hashish, weighing approximately 2 kilograms in total.
Crack and heroin in Piazza San Francesco di Paola
Also in the city center, a second intervention involved a patrol from the Office of General Prevention and Public Rescue. In Piazza San Francesco di Paola, officers observed two men suspiciously exchanging a package for money with a third party.
Immediately arrested, the two were found in possession of nine packages of crack cocaine and €263 in cash, believed to be the proceeds of drug dealing. The buyer, however, was found to be carrying a package of heroin he had just purchased.
The two drug dealers were arrested, while the buyer was administratively reported for personal use of narcotics.
The police's action confirms the Police Headquarters' commitment to policing the area, especially in the central areas of the city, which are often the scene of petty crime related to drug trafficking.
It's important that the police continue to work against drug and gun trafficking. However, I wonder if simply arresting people is enough, or if more needs to be done to prevent these situations in the future. We need to think about how to improve security in the city.