Poggioreale: 11 smartphones and handsets seized from mafia bosses' cells

Naples - The technological war between the state and organized crime is being waged behind bars in Poggioreale with handsets and scanners, and yesterday morning saw another important victory for the Penitentiary Police.

In a targeted operation inside the Naples prison, officers seized eleven cleverly hidden cell phones: eight were latest-generation smartphones, and three were so-called "microphones," tiny devices that are increasingly difficult to intercept, a veritable obsession for internal security.

The operation, announced by the USPP union, demonstrates the staff's extremely high level of professionalism and sense of duty. But it is precisely from the union itself that, along with the pride in the result, comes an equally strong cry of alarm.

"Our officers perform miracles every day with absolute dedication, but it's an unequal battle," denounce Giuseppe Moretti and Ciro Auricchio, president and regional secretary of the USPP. "The Camorra's pressure on prisons is constantly and alarmingly increasing, and we can no longer respond with personal sacrifice alone."

The core of the complaint is twofold: on the one hand, the chronic lack of technologically innovative tools to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of devices; on the other, a staffing shortage that in Poggioreale has reached emergency levels.

"There are 200 staff shortages," the union thunders. "This isn't a small detail; it's a chasm that puts everyone's safety at risk." The USPP reiterates that, despite the obvious operational difficulties and an unsustainable workload, officers continue to provide services with exemplary professionalism, but they warn that the limit has now been reached.