The signal: after the crisis, the rush is back. In Scampia, investigators say, drugs are flowing again, as they did during peak periods.
After a period often interpreted on the street as a crisis, reorganization, or a decline in volume (due to arrests, feuds, investigative pressure, or simple changes in structure), the market has raised its head again: markets are rekindling, shifts are restarting, supplies are more regular.
This morning's raid fits into this context. The DDA and the police intend to target not the individual drug dealer but the entire supply chain: those who finance, supply, store, package, and sell.
A structure that, if confirmed, suggests a return to the "criminal normality" of the streets: hierarchies, discipline, and minute control of the territory.
The measures: 24 in prison, 4 under house arrest
Acting on behalf of the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office, the State Police executed a precautionary measure order issued by the Naples Court at the request of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate.
Twenty-eight people are under investigation, facing charges—on various counts and according to the prosecution—of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, aggravated by the number of participants exceeding ten, and, in five cases, also by the aggravating circumstance of mafia methods. Twenty-four have been placed in prison, while four have been placed under house arrest.
The “Trentatré”: the square that becomes a hub again
The investigation began in the spring of 2022 following the statements of a collaborator of justice who reported an active drug dealing hub involving "kobret" and cocaine in the so-called Trentatré area of Scampia (formerly lot SC3 of via Arcangelo Ghisleri), believed to be linked to the Amato-Pagano clan.
Scampia, in this story, remains a marketplace: not just a neighborhood, but a hub. The squares, when functioning, attract customers, small-time dealers, "couriers," and the curious, while simultaneously changing the face of the streets: lookouts on the corners, scooters coming and going, delivery points moving to avoid checks. It's a daily pressure that falls on residents, caught between fear, resignation, and forced coexistence with a parallel economy.
The drug dealing machine: shifts, roles, and "safety"
According to the investigative reconstruction, the organization operated with a clear division of duties. At the top were two repeat offenders with specific criminal records, identified as promoters, organizers, and financiers.
Below, a chain that resembles a "corporate" organization: custodians of the substance, storage and packaging personnel, figures in charge of supplying the square and the sales staff.
According to investigators, three of the suspects acted as ringleaders, working alternating shifts, while the others worked as pushers and lookouts, ready to change roles depending on the schedule, the presence of law enforcement, or the need to fill a gap in staffing.
This alleged organization would not only serve to increase sales, but also to reduce risks: compartmentalizing, keeping too much information out of anyone's reach, and ensuring the market remains operational even when someone is stopped or arrested.
Not just Scampia: deliveries and appointments throughout the city
The most significant "new development" in the scenario described by investigators is the expansion of the company's operations. Not only retail sales in Trentatré, but also home delivery and street pickups in other neighborhoods: Chiaiano, Miano, and Colli Aminei.
It's a typical dynamic during expansion phases: when the market returns to strength, it tries to retain customers and circumvent security and security cameras, shifting part of its sales to more discreet modes. Fewer permanent crowds and more mobility, without sacrificing the heart of the market, which remains the market square.
Drug seizures and €100.000: the system's coffers
During the investigation, large quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack, and kobret were seized. During the execution of precautionary measures, approximately €100.000 in cash was also found, which investigators believe to be likely connected to the illegal activity.
Money, in the streets, is more than just a revenue stream: it's fuel for new shipments, wages for those who "work" on the streets, and also a tool of social control. Where cash circulates, it fuels a criminal micro-economy that sustains roles, silences, and affiliations.
The 2022 "stesa": when the square "invades"
The investigation also documented an incident that occurred in August 2022: a "stesa" (sweeping attack) attributed to members of the so-called "Abbasc Miano" clan, identified as an offshoot of the Lo Russo clan. According to the reconstruction, numerous shots were fired at prominent members of the Trentatré area, believed to be responsible for invading the territory of the other clan with their business.
This is the point where the investigation intersects with the geography of alliances and rivalries: a square that returns to generating wealth inevitably becomes a target. And territorial control, in this context, isn't a slogan but a method: intimidating, marking, making it clear who's in charge.
The “maintenance”: the supply chain that holds the clan together
Investigators also claim that part of the proceeds would have been earmarked for the so-called support of the families of the clan's inmates. This mechanism, in Camorra organizations, is often described as a glue: providing support to those left out while others are in prison, and maintaining a network of loyalties.
In the judicial narrative, it is also one of the signs that distinguish "occasional" drug dealing from a structured system, capable of redistributing resources and ensuring continuity.
Arrests in homes and prisons: the "wide-ranging" operation
The precautionary measures were carried out at homes in Naples and other municipalities in the province, as well as outside the region. Some suspects were already detained for other proceedings and were held in prisons in Naples Poggioreale, Secondigliano, Bellizzi (Avenza), Carinola (Caserta), Ascoli Piceno, and Ancona.
In addition to the Flying Squad, the "Scampia" Police Station, the Campania Crime Prevention Unit, and other units from outside the region also took part in the raid, including canine units and a Forensic Police unit specializing in the search for weapons and drugs.
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Comments (1)
The article discusses a complex situation in Scampia, where drugs seem to be making a worrying comeback. It's interesting to note how law enforcement is trying to combat this phenomenon, but there are many challenges ahead.