COpen – A carefully planned, international-scale coup is shaking Capri.
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A valuable Richard Mille RM 07 watch, worth approximately €300, was stolen from the wrist of Lord Ara Darzi, 65, a well-known British Labour politician and former Undersecretary of Health in the Gordon Brown government (2007-2009). He is also a renowned surgeon and university professor, a regular visitor to the island of Capri.
The robbery, which took place in the elegant shopping streets of Via Camerelle and Via Vittorio Emanuele, was captured entirely on numerous public and private video surveillance cameras in the area.
The dynamics of the robbery and the filmed escape
The incident occurred last night, while Lord Darzi, vacationing in the Gulf of Naples aboard a luxury yacht with friends, was strolling the streets of Capri. The two robbers, young and presumably experienced in this type of robbery, moved with impressive speed, snatching the watch from the victim's wrist before disappearing through the island's picturesque streets.
The surveillance footage, between the Gardens of Augustus and Via Krupp, captured not only the moment of the attack, but also their escape. According to initial reports, the criminals, who are not residents of the island, reached Marina Piccola and then fled by speedboat, disappearing without a trace. This suggests meticulous planning of the attack and escape route, perhaps with the help of local accomplices.
The manhunt and the international alarm
The faces of the two robbers have already been released to all police stations and Carabinieri stations in Naples and the surrounding province. Investigators are on their trail, launching a massive manhunt.
La rapina, given the media hype it is receiving and the high profile of the victim, represents a severe blow to the image of Capri worldwide, notoriously considered a safe and welcoming island.
The Municipal Police officers intervened immediately on site and Carabinieri from the Capri station, who have launched an investigation. Acquiring the footage recorded by the video surveillance systems will be crucial to the investigation, one clue after another to bring those responsible to justice and solve a case that has the entire island on tenterhooks.
The mayor's solidarity and commitment to safety
Ara Darzi, in addition to his political past, is currently a senior lecturer in surgery at Imperial College London and co-director of the British Institute of Public Health.
Capri's mayor, Paolo Falco, who was not on the island at the time of the robbery, expressed his solidarity with Lord Darzi in an official statement.
"On behalf of the entire administration and citizens," Falco stated, "I emphasize our sympathy for what happened and our full willingness to cooperate with the investigation. What happened is certainly an anomaly for an island that is and remains profoundly safe and welcoming.
Indeed, we fear that this was a targeted and planned action. In any case," the mayor concluded, "we will strengthen security measures, even in the most central and tourist-frequented areas."
The incident has highlighted the need for even greater attention to safety in highly touristic locations, especially during peak periods like July.
Article published on 14 July 2025 - 14:59
