It was a busy night in Agerola, in the Lattari Mountains: the explosion woke residents around 4 a.m., shattering the quiet of the town.
Carabinieri from the Agerola station intervened this morning at the Banca di Credito Popolare on Viale della Vittoria, where unknown individuals reportedly blew up the ATM and stole it.
No injuries were reported; the loot and damage are being assessed. Investigations are ongoing.
The trail between Naples and Caserta
In recent weeks, the Naples metropolitan area has been hit by a series of bank robberies, with "nine attacks in less than two months" reported at the end of January, drawing the attention of the Police Headquarters and the Prefecture to the phenomenon.
Also at the end of January, in Giugliano in Campania, a group blew up the ATM of the Banca di Credito Popolare on Via Palumbo, stealing an estimated 10 to 15 euros, according to initial reports.
On the Caserta front, a new attack was reported in Santa Maria a Vico, with the explosion of rudimentary explosive devices in front of an ATM.
The technique and the investigations
The “marmotta” is a homemade explosive device inserted into the ATM (during the dispensing phase) to cause an explosion and open the ATM's internal safe.
In Nola, for example, an explosion around 3 a.m. destroyed the ATM of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank and also caused damage to a bingo hall in the same building; there were no injuries, and the Carabinieri are investigating.
Following the raids between Giugliano and Nola, the Prefecture of Naples ordered the immediate intensification of security and the convening of the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Safety.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's incredible how these bank burglaries are increasing; it's unclear how they can do it without being noticed. We hope the investigations yield results soon for everyone's safety.