Casavatore – A swift operation has put an end, at least for now, to the activities of a notorious drug dealer in the heart of the neighborhood. Carabinieri officers from the local station arrested Francesco Barbato, 48, a convicted felon and former probationer, caught red-handed for possession and distribution of narcotics.
The man, who operates in an area that has long been under the scrutiny of law enforcement, is now being held in Poggioreale prison, awaiting a summary trial. The scene unfolded early yesterday afternoon, along Via Gian Battista Vico, one of the busiest thoroughfares in the densely populated Casavatore neighborhood.
Here, amidst anonymous high-rises and narrow alleys reeking of everyday life and decay, drug dealing has become almost routine: episodes of quick sales, knowing glances, and hasty escapes. The military, engaged in a targeted observation operation—the result of anonymous tips and neighborhood intelligence—kept watch over the area for hours, blending in with the comings and goings of passersby and commuters.
It didn't take long for the target to materialize: Barbato, with his unmistakable stealthy step and alert gaze, was captured completing two lightning-fast transactions. Two doses of hashish, passed from hand to hand to unsuspecting, or perhaps not so unsuspecting, customers, under the invisible eyes of law enforcement.
The two buyers, a young local man and another occasional customer, were immediately stopped and identified: for them, reporting them to the Prefecture as users, the first step towards recovery programs or administrative sanctions. But it was the moment of escape that betrayed the pusher.
Noticing the presence of the Carabinieri – perhaps a shadow too static, a squad car with its flashing lights off – Barbato acted instinctively, like a hunted animal.
It might interest you
Fake invalidity claims, massive €2 million scam at INPS: eight under investigation in Naples
A night of terror in Pomigliano d'Arco: thieves attempt to steal a car and threaten the owner with death.
Land of Fires: The Arzano case arrives before the Sole Commissioner.
Massa di Somma, a 19-year-old man arrested while fleeing in a stolen Smart car crashes into a gate.
Too late: the officers, with the quick thinking of those who've seen hundreds of similar moves, rushed to the car and recovered the loot. Inside, carefully dosed and ready for sale, were approximately 17 grams of hashish, wrapped in cellophane and labeled "fresh goods." The search didn't stop there.
Searching Barbato's pockets—worn jeans and an oversized sweatshirt, the standard kit for those living on the fringes—the Carabinieri found €125 in rustled bills, along with a small amount of residual drugs. Money and drugs, according to investigators, were the rotten fruit of a morning of illicit dealings.
In recent months, the Carabinieri have intensified their enforcement efforts, recording a 15% drop in drug-related reports compared to 2024, thanks to daily patrols and community collaboration. Yet incidents like this are a reminder that the battle is far from won.
Barbato, with a criminal record that includes previous convictions for similar crimes and a surveillance period that failed to stop him, represents the face of a deep-rooted problem, fueled by supply and demand that intertwine like the streets of the neighborhood. The arrested man, assisted by his lawyer, will appear before a judge tomorrow for validation.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues: the two reported clients could provide clues to a wider network, and the Carabinieri aren't ruling out house searches. In Casavatore, the sun sets on another day of ordinary legality regained, but vigilance remains high. Because in these alleys, every shadow could hide the next fix.
Comments (1)
Barbato's arrest is significant, but it shouldn't blind us to the fact that drug dealing is a deep-rooted problem in this area. The situation is complex and requires constant commitment from law enforcement and the community to address it.