Torre del Greco – In Torre del Greco, a town increasingly under siege from door-to-door drug dealing, the Carabinieri of the Naples provincial command caught another unsuspecting young man in the act: it was the fourth arrest in just seven days for possession and supply of narcotics.
The phenomenon, which involves young people with no criminal record caught up in the economic crisis, is alarming law enforcement: different locations, but the same pattern, consisting of last-minute deliveries via smartphone and "light" doses to avoid handcuffs, aiming at being reported as users at best.
The latest incident, which occurred between the night of 1 and 2 a.m. yesterday along Via Lava Troia, at the intersection with the Litoranea highway, is emblematic of this new frontier of low-profile drug dealing. A patrol from the local company's Mobile Radio unit, during an intensified patrol following recent raids, stopped a Fiat 500X with two twenty-year-olds inside.
The agitation of the young men and the pungent smell of marijuana wafting from the open doors aroused the officers' suspicions, and they began a search. The driver was clean, but the passenger—a 22-year-old local man, recently unemployed—had a package containing 10 grams of marijuana hidden in his sweatshirt pocket, ready to be sold.
The search was extended to the young man's home, Carabinieri They found another 19 grams on the desk in his bedroom, already portioned out for sale, and a precision scale that the boy spontaneously handed over.
"I'm doing it to earn some money, because I'm not working at the moment."
"Just to make some money, because I'm not working at the moment," the 22-year-old confessed to the soldiers, painting a portrait of daily desperation in a city where the youth unemployment rate is nearly 40%, according to ISTAT data for the first half of 2025.
Arrested for possession with intent to deal, the young man is now awaiting a summary trial, while his accomplice has been reported to the Prefecture as a user.
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In less than a week, the same departments arrested three amateur drug dealers in areas as far apart as the historic center and the Vesuvian outskirts, all under 30 and with no criminal record, who operate as couriers for informal networks.
The tactic is tried and tested: last-minute appointments arranged on social media or messaging apps, travel on foot, by car, or scooter to cover nearby neighborhoods, and minimal loads to minimize risks. It's a drug delivery that exploits digital anonymity, but their lack of experience often gives them away, according to investigators.
In September alone, a major raid by the Carabinieri led to two arrests in flagrante delicto—including a 58-year-old caught selling drugs at home and a 38-year-old with narcotics—and the seizure of kilograms of marijuana and hashish, as well as a lethal weapon hidden in a garage.
A few days earlier, on September 16, an organization based in the city, responsible for a cocaine flow to Rome and Naples, was dismantled. And that's not all: Operation "Manana" by the Guardia di Finanza, coordinated by the Central Directorate for Anti-Drug Services, disrupted a Spain-Campania route in January, resulting in 12 arrests and over 300 kg of drugs seized in Italy.
At the regional level, data from the Ministry of the Interior show a 15% increase in anti-drug operations in Campania in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the previous year, with the province of Naples accounting for 60% of national retail drug dealing cases.
Experts do not hesitate to speak of a "silent epidemic": "These drug dealers without a criminal record They are not professional criminals, but victims of the system. Drugs become an economic parachute in the absence of welfare and jobs, but they perpetuate a vicious cycle that feeds larger clans."
Local authorities are pushing for additional resources: the mayor of Torre del Greco has announced a meeting with the Prefecture to monitor social media and strengthen drug rehabilitation centers, while the Carabinieri (Italian Carabinieri) promise not to loosen their grip. On an autumn night filled with the scent of salt and desperation, the arrest of the 22-year-old is a warning: drug delivery may seem like an easy game, but the watchful eye of the uniformed police can turn money into handcuffs. For the young people of Torre del Greco, the real challenge is finding a future beyond their fix.
Comments (1)
The article discusses a very serious situation in Torre del Greco, where young people are making bad choices. It's important that the authorities take action, but also that there be support for these young people going through difficult times.