Naples – In response to the directives of the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Safety, chaired by Prefect Michele di Bari, the Naples Metropolitan Police—led by Commander Lucia Rea—has intensified environmental controls in several municipalities in the northern area and throughout the city, aiming to combat the so-called Land of Fires phenomenon.
The operations, conducted in recent days, come just a few months after the European Court of Human Rights's landmark ruling (January 30, 2025, in the case of Cannavacciuolo and Others v. Italy), which condemned the Italian state for violating the right to life and imposed urgent measures to protect public health and the environment from toxic fires and illegal dumping.
Targeted seizures against illegal activities and activities
The specialized units of the Metropolitan Police – in particular the Environment/Building (Gota) and Traffic (Nisa) sections – carried out a series of operations that led to the seizure of structures, areas, and vehicles used in violation of environmental and building regulations.
Attention has focused primarily on the areas most affected by toxic fires and illegal waste disposal, often linked to unlicensed businesses. In Melito, a quadricycle used for the unauthorized transport of non-hazardous special waste (ferrous metal) was seized.
The driver's license was revoked; the vehicle was confiscated and placed under administrative seizure for lack of third-party insurance and inspection.
In Arzano The officers seized an area of approximately 600 square meters used illegally as a parking lot and car wash, without any authorization.
In Sant'Antimo A 900-square-meter area managed by a construction company without a commercial SCIA (certified building permit) or authorization to discharge waste into the sewer system was seized.
In Marigliano A blacksmith shop located in a 200-square-meter building was seized for environmental violations.
In Pompeii Two mechanical workshops were seized: one was completely illegal, the other operated illegally inside an underground garage.
In Naples, in the Vomero district, on Via Belvedere, a completely illegal mechanical workshop was discovered and seized.
Enforcement continues. This operation represents only the beginning of an intensified phase of enforcement. The Metropolitan Police announced that the activity will continue in the coming days and weeks, with the aim of repressing not only environmental crimes but also all forms of illegality related to illegal construction and waste disposal. These measures are part of a broader implementation of the requirements set by the Strasbourg Court, which defined the Land of Fires as a case of "systematic, decades-long, widespread, and large-scale" pollution, requiring the Italian state to implement structural measures by 2027 for cleanup, monitoring, and prevention.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
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