Naples – A routine check turns into a bust in the heart of Ponticelli, targeting counterfeit money. Carabinieri officers from the Naples-Poggioreale Company, conducting a morning patrol, arrested Ciro Pellecchia, a 22-year-old from the neighborhood known to law enforcement for previous incidents.
The young man was stopped while smoking a marijuana joint on Via Enrico Russo, one of the neighborhood's busiest streets, turning a simple drug bust into a more serious discovery. It was just after 10:29 when the officers, suspicious of the boy's behavior, proceeded to search him.
Hidden in the pockets of his trousers, six 50-euro bills were discovered, for a total of 300 euros. The seizure was immediate: thanks to the specialized intervention of the Carabinieri of the Naples Anti-Counterfeiting Operations Unit, the bills were declared counterfeit with certainty.
These are high-quality fakes, with graphic details and watermarks that faithfully mimic the original, a type of merchandise that often circulates in local markets for small-scale illicit trafficking.
It might interest you
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.
Ischia: A stolen e-bike leads to an entire warehouse of stolen vehicles: three reports filed.
The young man, represented by a public defender, will appear before a judge in the next few hours for preliminary investigations. At this time, no links to organized networks have emerged, but the investigation is continuing to determine whether the boy was part of a larger drug distribution ring.
In Naples, the circulation of counterfeit banknotes has increased by 15%.
This incident comes amid growing alarm over currency counterfeiting in Southern Italy. According to recent data from the Ministry of the Interior, Naples and its province have seen a 15% increase in seizures of counterfeit euros over the past two years, often linked to Camorra clans exploiting the post-pandemic economic crisis to flood the market with fake banknotes.
50-euro notes, like those seized today, are among the most widely used precisely because they are ideal for everyday purchases at the market or in bars, escaping superficial checks.
Comments (1)
It's strange how a check that was supposed to be simple and hassle-free has become so complicated. I don't know if the boy was aware of the situation he was in, but it's important to pay attention to these things.