Chiaia, drug deliveries in the nightlife: drug dealer Salvatore Polverino arrested

Naples – In Naples, a city of elegant nightlife, with trendy clubs and late-night music, the parallel drug dealing market continues to thrive. This increasingly fluid system mimics the model of home deliveries: veritable "drug deliveries," capable of supplying regular and occasional customers directly to the city's entertainment hotspots.

The latest incident occurred during the night between Thursday and Friday, when the Carabinieri of the Operational Unit of the Naples Bagnoli company arrested Salvatore Polverino, 35, already known to the police, and his partner, a 25-year-old originally from Melito di Napoli.

The tailing up to Chiaia

The police began following Polverino around 23 p.m., in Fuorigrotta, the neighborhood where he lives. Their discreet but continuous pursuit extended to the heart of the Chiaia nightlife, through streets crowded with young people and tourists.

Aboard his Toyota Aygo, the 35-year-old drove cautiously, stopping repeatedly near clubs and main squares. This behavior aroused the suspicions of investigators, who were convinced they were dealing with a late-night drug courier.

The search began shortly before 2 a.m. in Piazza della Repubblica. During the search, the Carabinieri found a small amount of cocaine and hashish on Polverino. The man attempted to justify himself by claiming they were for personal use, but investigators didn't believe that: there were too many inconsistencies, too many suspicious movements on the route between Fuorigrotta and Chiaia.

The house search and the raid

The search then continued at Polverino's home, where his partner was waiting for the Carabinieri. When the officers arrived, the woman attempted to throw some packages out the window, but the scene did not escape the investigators' attention.

Inside the apartment, the Carabinieri found 225 grams of marijuana, 300 grams of hashish, 10 grams of cocaine, precision scales, packaging materials, and €665 in cash, believed to be the proceeds of drug dealing.

The house had four cameras connected to a video surveillance system that monitored the building's entrances: a veritable "fortress" resistant to inspections.

The two partners were arrested. Polverino was transferred to Poggioreale prison, while the woman was placed under house arrest. Both are now awaiting trial.

The phenomenon: drugs circulate among the nightlife venues

What was discovered in Chiaia is just the latest episode in a widespread network of small-time drug dealing that fuels the nightlife of Naples' wealthy neighborhoods. From the alleys of Chiaia and Mergellina to the terraces of the Caracciolo seafront, demand for narcotics grows with the warmer nights, attracting dealers who operate like drug delivery riders, ready to deliver doses on demand.

I police In recent months, drug dealers and the police have already identified a new geography of drug dealing: fewer fixed locations and more mobility, with small-time pushers traveling on scooters or small cars, often acting "above suspicion," to avoid checks.
This dynamic is reminiscent of the "criminal delivery" model that has already emerged in Posillipo and Vomero, where investigations have documented rapid deliveries and appointments arranged via chat or social media.

Chiaia and its bars, between luxury and illegality

Behind the windows and tables of the most famous bars and boutiques of Chiaia, therefore, the Naples of luxury and lawlessness continues to coexist, where drug dealing is camouflaged among crowded tables and illegal parking attendants.

Law enforcement officials describe it as an “evolving” phenomenon, fueled by young consumers and a market adapting to new forms of nighttime entertainment.

"Drugs no longer arrive only in working-class neighborhoods, but also where money and tourism are involved," investigative sources explain. "And those who bring them there are no longer street dealers, but seemingly ordinary figures, often leading double lives: workers by day, nightlife couriers by night."