They were poisoning the Sarno River: toxic discharges and hazardous waste, a company in Torre Annunziata was seized.

The Naples Metropolitan Police, in collaboration with Gori technicians, sealed off a 3.000-square-meter industrial facility. A test using a dye (fluorescein) was crucial to the investigation, revealing a direct connection between the company's yard and the waters of the Bottaro Canal, a tributary of the Sarno River.

Naples News

Reading time 1 min

Rosaria Federico

February 13, 2026 - 17:03

In the photo, a representative element of the story. — Pictured is the Torre Annunziata Courthouse

ON THE SAME TOPIC

Listen to this article now...

Loading ...

Torre Annunziata – It discharged water contaminated with oil and pollutants directly into the Sarno River basin, without any treatment. For this reason, a company in Torre Annunziata was seized.

The operation was conducted by officers of the Naples Metropolitan Police – Sarno Special Emergency Unit of the Pompeii district, coordinated by the Torre Annunziata Public Prosecutor's Office.

Fluorescein test and canal discharge

The investigation, launched to monitor and address pollution in the notorious Sarno River and its tributaries, led investigators to an industrial complex of approximately 3.000 square meters, consisting of three warehouses and a large concrete yard.

The square itself was the focus of the investigations. Using a dye test (fluorescein), Metropolitana officials and technicians from GORI (Optimal Management of Water Resources) discovered the illegal mechanism: surface runoff, which collects oily residues and other contaminants, was being illegally channeled into the Bottaro canal, which flows into the Sarno River, without passing through any purification or treatment plant.

Hazardous waste abandoned outdoors

In addition to the illegal dumping, investigators found a complete lack of required environmental permits for both atmospheric emissions and waste management.

In the seized area, those responsible are said to have created a veritable illegal landfill, storing hazardous waste in bulk, leaving it exposed to the elements without any of the necessary precautions to avoid environmental disaster.

The hunt for polluters of the Sarno River

The seizure of Torre Annunziata is part of a broader investigative effort launched by the Prosecutor's Office to map and arrest those responsible for the degradation of the Sarno River, which for decades has been considered one of the most polluted waterways in Europe. The joint operation between law enforcement and water service providers aims to identify all the illegal discharges that continue to compromise the ecosystem and public health in the area.