Avellino - To evade security and remain unnoticed, they had devised a plan as simple as it was unusual: using a disused Civil Protection off-road vehicle as a drug transport vehicle.
This ploy allowed the gang to move for months between the provinces of Benevento and Avellino, pretending to be part of an institution engaged in public service activities.
They were unmasked by officers of the Benevento State Police, following a detailed investigation coordinated by the Naples District Anti-Mafia Directorate. The operation, which culminated in the arrest of seven people—five in prison and two under house arrest—uncovered a criminal organization rooted in the Campania region, dedicated to drug trafficking and acts of intimidation.
According to the reconstruction of the investigators, led by prosecutor Nicola Gratteri and deputy prosecutor Henry John Woodcock, the group did not limit itself to drug dealing.
Investigations revealed that some members allegedly threatened a person with a gun, beating him to force payment of a debt. The organization also allegedly established a vast drug distribution network, with ramifications extending from Naples to the inland areas of Sannio and Irpinia.
The use of bugs installed inside the "ghost" off-road vehicle belonging to the Civil Protection Department, which had no involvement in the incident, was crucial in reconstructing the group's movements.
Through wiretaps, investigators identified meeting places, deliveries, and even the supply channels for the drugs to be placed on the local market.
During the searches, the police—supported by canine units and the Naples Police Headquarters' Flight Unit—seized several shipments of drugs ready for distribution. With today's arrests, the DDA believes it has dismantled an organization that for years supplied drug dealing hubs in the Campania provinces, masquerading as an institution dedicated to helping citizens in need.
Comments (1)
The article explains how the gang used a Civil Protection SUV for drug trafficking. But I don't understand how they thought no one would notice. The police were right to intervene, but there are still many problems.