Giugliano, the "comeback horse" costs dearly: 42-year-old arrested in Naples after a Carabinieri trap

Giugliano – The scenario is always the same: your car is stolen, and a week later a stranger calls and says, "If you want to see it back, you have to pay." It's the classic "comeback horse," the plague that has plagued the northern area of ​​Naples for decades. But this time, the victim, whose Fiat 500L was stolen on November 28th in Villaricca, isn't having it.

He agrees to negotiate the requested €500, schedules an appointment, and then rushes to the Carabinieri station in Giugliano. The officers organize a targeted operation within hours. The meeting is scheduled in the Don Guanella neighborhood, an area of ​​Naples known for being a hub for the Camorra. The delivery must be made anonymously: the money must be placed in an envelope on a low wall.

A plainclothes Carabiniere shows up at the meeting point, pretending to be the owner. He places the envelope down and waits. A few moments later, Ciro Russo, 42, a local resident and already known to law enforcement for property crimes and drug dealing, arrives. The man, in a car, grabs the envelope and tries to escape.

But he was immediately stopped by other officers hiding nearby. In his pockets was the phone he'd been using for extortion calls. A few hundred meters away, the Carabinieri also found the stolen Fiat 500L, which was quickly returned to its rightful owner.

Russo was arrested on charges of attempted extortion, receiving stolen goods, and resisting a public official. He is currently in Poggioreale prison awaiting validation. The operation, coordinated by Giugliano's company, once again confirms that the "comeback horse" remains a profitable and widespread business, but also that prompt reporting can break the cycle.