Naples, the million-dollar sack of life-saving drugs. All 17 investigations.

Naples – They weren't looking for cash or jewelry. Their "gold" was stored at 4°C (39°F), inside the armored refrigerators of the oncology wards. The investigation conducted by the Carabinieri of the Naples-Vomero Company, under the expert direction of the Naples Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA), has uncovered a criminal network that to call "odious" is a technical euphemism.

A structured criminal organization, with defined roles and an internal "mole," capable of draining over €4 million from the public health system in less than a year. Preliminary Investigating Judge Enrico Contieri has signed ten precautionary measures (three in prison, three under house arrest, and four requiring police to report to the police), putting an end to the "life-saving vampires"' raid.

The direction: the "lords of the cold" and the pact with the mole

At the top of the pyramid, according to the investigations, sit two names that consistently crop up in the reports: Alessio Donnarumma and Cristofaro Sacchettino. Not just thieves, but "crime managers" who planned their heists with pinpoint precision. They were the ones who chose the targets, recruited the workforce, and, above all, managed the relationship with the weakest link in the chain: Danilo De Angelis.

De Angelis isn't just anyone in this investigation. He's the rogue security guard, the uniformed "Trojan horse" who, first for Cosmopol and then for Team Security, was tasked with guarding the very departments he helped clear. According to the prosecution, he's the one who provided the right "tips": his colleagues' shifts, the locations of the security cameras, and, on several occasions, the electronic keys to disarm the alarms without leaving any signs of forced entry.

Chronicle of a Sack: 2024, the Year of the Plunder

The investigation documents a staggering escalation. It all officially began on April 26, 2024, but it wasn't until May 31 that the gang pulled off their first major heist at the Federico II Polyclinic. Thanks to De Angelis's assistance and the use of cloned keys, the group stole €1.420.592 worth of drugs. A clean, surgical heist.

On August 18th, in the middle of summer, the gang returned to action. This time they used the "foam technique": surveillance cameras were covered with white foam to hide the faces of Cristofaro Sacchettino and Pasqualino Spadaro while they emptied the cold storage rooms. Their loot: €561.670.

But the unscrupulousness reached its peak on September 2nd at the "UMACA" ward. Here, the gang not only stole €684.000 worth of drugs, but also abandoned another €35.000 on the floor. These medications, invaluable to cancer patients, suffered a fatal temperature shock, rendering them unusable. This is the darkest side of the investigation: the waste of vital medical care as a "side effect" of the theft.

The child in the commando and the Reggio Calabria track

Perhaps the most disturbing episode dates back to December 10, 2024. For the latest raid on the "UNICA4" laboratory, Alessio Donnarumma decides to bring his 12-year-old son along. While his accomplices (Contini, Celentano, and Pandolfo) force open the window bars to steal over €760.000 in drugs, the child observes the operations from his father's motorcycle, which he uses as a lookout. A criminal legacy passed down on the job, along the darkened alleys of the hospital.

The investigation benefited from crucial cross-referencing with Calabria. The Carabinieri in Melito Porto Salvo were investigating a similar theft at the Tiberio Eroli hospital. Thanks to wiretaps and surveillance ordered by the Reggio Calabria magistrates, it was possible to connect the pieces of the puzzle and identify the identical modus operandi: preventive inspections, use of temporary storage facilities, and a network of fences ready to sell the goods on the black market, both domestically and abroad.

The black market of receiving stolen goods

The business doesn't end with theft. The investigation points the finger at the network of receivers, including figures such as Vincenzo Carpinelli and Mario Criscuolo. These individuals were tasked with recirculating medications, often expired or altered by improper storage. In one specific case, the trade of Dusport 500, a drug expired for over a year, was documented, sold as if it were new. This posed a deadly risk to unsuspecting patients who, in their attempts to treat themselves, were taking potentially toxic or ineffective substances.

ALL THE INVESTIGATED
The investigation involves a total of 17 people, each with a specific role in the theft and receiving chain:

The Promoters and Leaders

DONNARUMMA, Alessio (Naples, 1990) – Organizer and mastermind of the robberies. PRISON

SACCHETTINO Cristofaro (Naples, 1967) – Chief and logistics planner. PRISON

The performers and participants

DE ANGELIS, Danilo (Naples, 1984) – The "unfaithful" security guard, internal accomplice. PRISON

Ciro SACCHETTINO (Naples, 1981) – Perpetrator of the thefts. HOUSE ARREST

RAIANO Carlo (Naples, 1991) – Material perpetrator of the thefts.

Pasqualino SPADARO (Catania, 1995) – Involved in the raids at the Policlinico Hospital. HOUSE ARREST

CONTINI Diomede (Naples, 1999) – Participant in break-ins. MANDATORY REPORT TO THE LEGAL POLICE

CELENTANO Francesco (Naples, 1998) – Participant in break-ins. MANDATORY REPORT TO THE LEGAL POLICE

PANDOLFO Francesco (Naples, 2000) – Participant in break-ins. MANDATORY REPORT TO THE LEGAL POLICE

The network of receivers and supporters

RUFFINO Antonio (Villaricca, 1998) – Management and sale of stolen drugs. MANDATORY REPORT TO THE LEGAL POLICE

ALFANO Antonio Fabio (Naples, 1998) – Management and sale of stolen drugs. HOUSE ARREST

CARPINELLI Vincenzo (Naples, 1955) – Fence.

CRISCUOLO Mario (Naples, 1970) – Fence.

FIUMARA Fortunata (Naples, 1959) – Involved in the management of proceeds.

RIZZO Arianna (Naples, 1996) – Supporter.

RIZZO Consiglia (Naples, 1987) – Supporter.

ZIZOLFI Rita (Naples, 1965) – Supporter.