A year of nighttime explosions, bank tellers being ripped off, and thousands of euros being stolen. This is the outcome of the investigation that led to the arrest of four criminals from the province of Foggia and the indictment of three others believed to be members of a gang specializing in ATM robberies in central and southern Italy.
Eleven contested assaults were carried out between April 2024 and the following months in the provinces of Campobasso, Foggia, Potenza and Avellino.
Starting from an incident that occurred in April 2024 in San Martino in Pensilis, in the province of Campobasso, the Carabinieri of the Campobasso Provincial Command – coordinated by the Larino Prosecutor's Office – have reconstructed the structure of the group, renaming the investigation with an eloquent name: "Marmotta", the same technique used to blow up the bank windows.
The "groundhog" technique: a 20-euro note to trigger the explosion
The method was as simple as it was devastating. An initial access to the ATM, with a minimal withdrawal—always a 20-euro note—allowed the criminals to leave the machine open just long enough to insert a homemade explosive device loaded with gunpowder.
The fuse was then lit within seconds, with the bandits ready to flee aboard high-powered cars, all stolen and equipped with false license plates.
The very papers used for the withdrawal—an oversight that cost the group dearly—allowed investigators to narrow down the area, identifying the suspects' origins.
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Operational base in Orta Nova, attacks across half of Italy
The gang's logistical base was in Orta Nova, in the Foggia province. From there, the gang moved to reach targets in various southern regions: Molise, Puglia, Basilicata, and Campania.
According to investigators, the group was well-structured and included individuals with specific skills in the use of explosives, so much so that they operated with an almost serial repetitiveness.
In total, the successful heists netted approximately €200. But not all operations went as planned: in one case, an error in calculating the quantity of explosives caused an uncontrolled detonation, seriously injuring three members of the gang.
The suspects are charged with serious crimes: aggravated criminal conspiracy involving the use of explosives, aimed at committing aggravated thefts against credit institutions using homemade explosives containing gunpowder.
The Larino Prosecutor's Office described the investigation as "complex and thorough": a meticulous reconstruction that allowed them to dismantle one of the most active gangs of ATM thieves operating in Southern Italy.
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