Avellino – The quiet night in Irpinia has been shattered by gunfire: two clearly extortion-related attacks struck within hours of each other, between Avellino and nearby Atripalda, a car and motorcycle rental company and a Kia dealership.
At least five shots were fired from a speeding car at the entrance to the company's headquarters on Via Francesco Tedesco, in the heart of the Irpinia capital; another five, perhaps more, were fired at the Korean automaker's showroom on Via Appia, less than a kilometer from the first target. Fortunately, no casualties occurred, but the message was unmistakable: "Pay or you will pay."
The Avellino Flying Squad and the Carabinieri of the local Company are working tirelessly, combing through surveillance cameras and evaluating whether the two raids – both carried out between 1 and 2 am – are the work of the same criminal hand, in an area that for months has groaned under the weight of a racket that spares no one.
The first crime scene materialized shortly after midnight on Via Francesco Tedesco, a busy commercial thoroughfare during the day but deserted in the wee hours. The rental company, a staple for tourists and commuters who ply the mountainous roads of the Avellino area with short-term cars and scooters, saw its shutters riddled with 9x21 caliber bullets, recovered from the spent casings scattered on the asphalt.
"It was a roar that woke up half the neighborhood," said a resident, who called 113 with shaking hands. "We thought it was an explosion, but it was the mafia knocking on the door." The owner, a businessman in his sixties with years of experience in the sector, discovered the damage at dawn during an inspection tour: shattered windows, holes in the walls, but the structure remained intact.
"It's not the first time we've received threats," he confides quietly to our reporters, while forensic technicians gather every detail. "But this time it's different. They want money, extortion, whatever you want to call it. Here in Irpinia, businesses are our pride, but without state protection, you risk becoming an easy target."
Less than ten minutes' drive away, the second shot struck the Kia dealership on Via Appia, in Atripalda, a piedmont town known for its industry and resilient spirit. Here too, a dark vehicle—perhaps a nondescript sedan, according to initial descriptions—approached with its headlights off, slowed just enough to unleash a hail of shots at the front window, and then vanished into the night, direction unknown.
The bullets tore through display panels, hitting hybrid models and SUVs ready for delivery, but did not injure passersby or employees.
It might interest you
Wood theft in the green heart of Irpinia: 30 quintals of chestnut trees illegally felled
From prison, he stalks his victim's widow: a "cell network" discovered in Avellino's cells.
Avellino: A caregiver inherits the home of an elderly man with dementia; a complaint is filed.
Avellino: Cell phones in jails allow crime to continue: 18 people under investigation at the Antimo Graziano prison.
The incident brings to mind other extortion raids in the Sannio and Caserta areas, where extortion rackets have already brought dozens of businesses to their knees, forcing closures and relocations. The investigation, coordinated by the Avellino Public Prosecutor's Office, is proceeding rapidly.
Officers from the Flying Squad, supported by the Carabinieri of the Provincial Investigative Unit, are analyzing dozens of hours of footage from private and public cameras installed along the affected streets: a video surveillance system that, thanks to PNRR funding, now covers 70% of the city center.
"We're evaluating connections with similar incidents," explains a qualified source within the investigation, who requested anonymity. "The modus operandi are similar: getaway cars, firearms, zero brutality but maximum terror. It could be a local group, perhaps linked to Camorra clans that extend from the Aversa countryside inland."
Indeed, an expansion of the Neapolitan racket cannot be ruled out: in the last six months, Irpinia has seen a 30% increase in reports of extortion, according to data from the Chamber of Commerce, with the auto sector—rentals and dealerships—among the hardest hit due to its constant cash flow.
"It's a red alert," thundered the president of CNA Avellino, speaking this morning. "Small businesses can't cope with this steady decline. We need more intelligence and concrete protections, not just promises." While the city wakes up under a gray autumn sky, Avellino and Atripalda are experiencing a mixture of anger and fear.
Local business owners have already organized an extraordinary meeting for this afternoon, attended by Avellino's mayor, Antonio Genovese, who promised "maximum institutional mobilization."
"We will not let the Camorra dictate the law in our territory," he declared in a telephone interview. "These attacks are an affront to our hard-working community." Meanwhile, the shutters remain down, the broken windows await replacement, and the spent bullets are in the hands of ballistics experts.
In a province that dreams of shaking off the stereotype of the "land of fires" to become a green and tourism hub, episodes like these turn the clock back decades. The only question is: how long will this spiral continue? Law enforcement vows not to give up, but for the victims, the countdown has already begun. Irpinia isn't giving up, but it needs better weapons to fight its invisible enemy.
Comments (1)
Reading this article, I wonder how such things can happen in a community so desperate for growth and security. It's essential that authorities intervene to protect citizens and businesses, otherwise the situation could worsen further.