Naples – A Carabinieri operation straight out of a movie: a gang specializing in the theft of luxury cars and motorcycles was uncovered, and four men were placed under house arrest by order of the Naples Court.
In total, investigators have reconstructed 22 theft carried out in various neighborhoods of Naples and in various municipalities of Campania.
The name “AirTag gang” (a reference to the tracking device reminiscent of those used by Apple) is evocative of the method used: the criminals placed GPS devices in the rearview mirrors or bumpers of target cars, so as to silently monitor them and strike at the most opportune moment.
The investigation: digital traces, telephone data and biological evidence
The investigation was coordinated by the VII "Urban Security" Section of the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office and conducted by the Marianella Carabinieri station of Naples, with the support of the Scientific Investigations Section of the Provincial Command and the R.
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The investigators combined several tools:
analysis of the cell phones used by the suspects, to reconstruct their contacts, movements, and the time when the GPS was active;
examination of public and private video surveillance systems in the areas affected by the thefts;
biological surveys on relevant traces (yeasts, cells, DNA) found in places or on vehicles, such as to lead back to specific subjects.
Thanks to this convergence of elements, it emerged that the criminal organization was based in the Scampia neighborhood and operated throughout the province of Naples and in neighboring municipalities: Aversa, Giugliano, Casoria, Pozzuoli, and others.
Within the criminal structure, the roles were well defined:
a chief promoter, who planned the thefts, decided which cars to target, maintained contact with the receivers and managed the division of the proceeds;
the accomplices, charged with infiltrating the GPS, tracking the vehicles, intervening at the right time and hiding the vehicles or dismantling them.
Burglary tools, luxury car emblems, and electronic devices for programming and regenerating electronic keys were seized from the searched premises.
Comments (1)
The Carabinieri operation sounds really interesting, but I wonder how they uncovered this gang. Car thefts are a serious problem, especially in cities like Naples, where safety is paramount for everyone.