Lioni - The earth is shaking again in Alta Irpinia, but this time it's not underground, but the explosive fury of organized crime dedicated to ATM thefts. During the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, a deafening roar shattered the silence of Via Francesco Petrarca in Lioni, where a gang of professionals targeted the BDM (Banca del Mezzogiorno) branch.
The technique used is now a trademark: the so-called "marmotta", a metal device filled with gunpowder inserted into the dispenser slot, capable of ripping open the chests with unprecedented violence.
A devastated structure
The explosion was so powerful that it caused extensive structural damage not only to the ATM but to the entire entrance to the bank. Shattered glass and debris hurled meters away greeted first responders and law enforcement officers who arrived on the scene shortly after the explosion.
The Carabinieri of the local company, along with the Municipal Police, immediately cordoned off the area to allow for technical surveys. The Carabinieri bomb squad also intervened on the scene to secure any explosive residue and verify the stability of the access points.
The gang is being hunted and the loot is being quantified.
The commando, presumably composed of at least three or four people with their faces covered, managed to escape aboard a large car before the arrival of the patrols.
Bank staff and military personnel are currently working to determine the exact amount of the loot, which is expected to be significant, given that the machine had been stocked for weekly withdrawals. Investigators are now examining video surveillance footage from the area and the bank itself to try to trace the criminals' escape route.
The precedent and the escalation in Irpinia
The Lioni attack is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a worrying series of events that is severely testing the security of the province of Avellino. Just over a month ago, on January 31st, a similar robbery occurred in Bisaccia. On that occasion, the dynamics were identical, suggesting the presence of a "battery" of specialized thieves moving with agility along the roads of Alta Irpinia.
The frequency of these attacks—two in about thirty days—raises questions about the vulnerability of credit institutions in the more inland municipalities and the need for even more rigorous patrolling of the main roads connecting Campania and neighboring regions.
I read and think that the area is now an easy target. We should install sensor networks, 24-hour lighting, and more controls at escape points. But it's not clear who pays, and so everything remains on paper. The frustration is great and people are losing confidence.
I agree but I also don't understand the fear but we need to carefully evaluate the causes perhaps they are groups that move forward on isolated roads coordination is needed but citizens should collaborate and not leave the offices empty without supervision quick and clear choices are needed
It seems like a worrying thing to me but not a complete surprise, people talk about banks being unsafe and lack of controls, but the news reports are writing it strangely, it seems like thieves are roaming free and the police aren't stopping them, there should be more patrols, cameras and anti-explosive barriers but no one decides.