Maddaloni – A condominium courtyard transformed into an open-air landfill, with piles of construction waste, plastics, and toxic metals piled on the bare earth: this was the grim discovery made yesterday afternoon by Carabinieri officers from the Maddaloni station, in the heart of the Caserta town.
The operation, part of a targeted effort to combat illegal waste dumping, led to the criminal charges filed against a 38-year-old local man, already known to the judicial press for previous offenses. The man, who operated as an illegal "collector," used two Ape Cars—one with a counterfeit chassis—to transport and conceal hazardous materials, creating a veritable underground business that threatens public health and the environment.
The events occurred in the late afternoon of Monday 13 October, when a military patrol, suspicious of anonymous reports of nauseating smells and suspicious movements, broke into a condominium courtyard.
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The Carabinieri's rapid investigations reconstructed the illegal scheme: the suspect, a local mechanic with a history of petty crimes, collected waste from construction sites and private workshops, offering a "low-cost" service to avoid the costs of legal disposal.
The two three-wheeled vehicles found on site were seized under criminal law: one of them, in particular, had a counterfeit chassis, an aggravating circumstance that could prove costly for the man, who already faces charges of illegal waste management and forgery.
The entire area was sealed off and placed in judicial custody of the accused, pending the decision of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, which has opened an investigation into environmental crimes.
This isn't the first time Maddaloni has been under the spotlight for waste management abuses. The town, nestled in the Caserta hills and just off the A1 motorway, has been a hub for illegal trafficking for decades, a legacy of the Campania waste crisis of the 2000s. In 2024 alone, Campania recorded 6.104 environmental crimes, a 23% increase over the previous year, with Naples leading the way, with over 23 offenses in the last 15 years.
Comments (1)
It's truly incredible how the waste situation in this courtyard could have gotten to this point. The authorities should intervene before something serious happens, because the health of people and children is very important and should not be underestimated.