Secondigliano and Arzano, same route for drugs and weapons. At dawn, the Carabinieri of the Napoli Stella company's operational unit launched a major anti-drug operation, starting from the heart of the Neapolitan criminal stronghold and extending to the northern hinterland of Naples.
Four young men, three of them brothers, were arrested while hundreds of pounds of hashish and a stolen gun were seized.
The first raid took place in one of the courtyards on Via del Camposanto, in Secondigliano, an area that had always been under investigation by investigators.
The officers cordoned off the area and ascended to an apartment that had been targeted for days. At that moment, 23-year-old Mario Cortese and his 20-year-old sister began throwing cardboard boxes into the air from the balcony, in a last-minute attempt to get rid of the merchandise. The action, however, did not escape the eyes of the Carabinieri, who immediately cordoned off the area where they had fallen.
Inside the boxes was the heart of the business: 41 kilos and 225 grams of hashish, already divided into blocks ready for sale. The officers raided the home and found more drug packaging material, along with phones and manuscripts deemed of investigative interest, likely "accounting records" and contacts for the drug trafficking network. Mario Cortese and his sister were arrested, while their 45-year-old mother, who was present at the home, was charged at large.
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The investigation, however, didn't stop there. The rapid investigations and the evidence gathered during those hours prompted the Carabinieri to extend the searches to other logistical bases. The officers first moved to another house in Secondigliano, then headed straight for Arzano, following a trail of connections and acquaintances that led to a second family strand.
In the Neapolitan neighborhood where they were based, the Stella gang raided the apartment of 27-year-old Francesco Celentano. The search led to the discovery and seizure of a Beretta APX model 9x21 caliber pistol, reported stolen in 2024. The complete weapon was seized and sent to laboratories for ballistics testing to determine whether it had been used in ambushes or other crimes in the area. Francesco Celentano was also arrested.
The investigation then leads to Arzano, to the home of his younger brother, Emanuele Celentano, born in 2003, already known to law enforcement. There, the Carabinieri open a closet that turns out to be a veritable drug vault: inside, they find another 12 kilos and 600 grams of hashish. The 22-year-old is also arrested, completing a bust that has taken out an entire family line of drugs and weapons.
The massive operation resulted in a significant number of arrests, dozens of kilos of hashish seized, and a stolen gun recovered. The four young men will face charges of various kinds, including possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking, unlawful possession, and receiving stolen weapons. The investigation by the Carabinieri of the Napoli Stella branch is continuing to reconstruct any upper levels, links to clans active between Secondigliano and the northern area, and the drug supply route.
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Comments (1)
This article discusses an anti-drug and weapons operation conducted in and around Naples. It's important to know what's happening in these areas, but it's also sad to see so many young people involved in illegal activities. I hope the authorities can do more to prevent these situations.