Flying couriers face a setback: a drone loaded with drugs and cell phones was stopped in Poggioreale.

Naples – Attempts to breach the security of Campania's prisons are becoming increasingly technological, but this time the state's response was immediate. Overnight, an operation conducted by the Penitentiary Police at the "G. Salvia" prison in Poggioreale intercepted and neutralized a drone loaded with illicit material, preventing hashish and cell phones from reaching inmates in the prison's corridors.

The operation, coordinated by director Dr. G. Russo, represents a significant blow against what has now become a veritable "air conduit" for illicit trafficking.

The use of remotely piloted aircraft to scale city walls and deliver prohibited goods is no longer a novelty, but a consolidated and increasingly widespread strategy employed by organized crime, which exploits technology to circumvent traditional checks at border crossings.

The nighttime raid resulted in the recovery of a shipment likely destined for the prison's internal market, consisting of narcotics and micro-phones, essential tools for maintaining contact with the outside world and continuing to conduct criminal business from the cell.

Vincenzo Santoriello, deputy general secretary of SINAPPE (National Autonomous Union of Penitentiary Police), spoke out forcefully on the incident, praising the promptness of the officers on duty.

"This operation," Santoriello stated, "is a clear demonstration of our staff's high level of professionalism. Our colleagues successfully countered an organized crime attack while operating under critical conditions, often marked by a chronic shortage of personnel and resources."

The union representative points the finger at a phenomenon he calls "serious and persistent," emphasizing the urgent need for adequate countermeasures. While clans are modernizing with increasingly high-performance and silent drones, police forces need cutting-edge detection and interdiction technologies (anti-drone systems).

"It is essential to ensure the safety of penitentiaries and the staff who work there daily," the Sinappe statement concludes. "We thank those on duty for their excellent work, but we reiterate our hope for an immediate strengthening of staffing and the implementation of appropriate technologies to prevent critical events of this magnitude."