Abandoned waste: A van with Romanian license plates seized: the first raid since the Terzigno-Poggiomarino agreement.

The first operational result of the memorandum of understanding signed in recent days between the municipalities of Terzigno and Poggiomarino as part of efforts to combat illegal waste dumping in the so-called Land of Fires (Terra dei Fuochi). A van with Romanian license plates, believed to be used for transporting and subsequently dumping waste, was seized during a joint operation involving municipal police officers from the two municipalities and Italian Army soldiers from the Campania Group.

The intervention stems from the strengthened enforcement activities envisaged in the new agreement between the two administrations, with the aim of overcoming the fragmentation of controls and ensuring greater capacity for intervention in an area where those who illegally transport and abandon waste can easily move from one municipality to another.

During the operation, the van's occupants reportedly fled upon seeing the officers conducting the checks. The vehicle was hidden, according to investigators' reconstruction, with the possibility of being recovered later.

The van was identified thanks to video surveillance

The escape, however, didn't prevent the officers from identifying the vehicle. Video surveillance systems in the area also played a significant role, allowing them to reconstruct the van's movements and locate it.

The vehicle was subsequently seized and further investigations are underway. The objective is to establish the vehicle's provenance, reconstruct its destination, and, above all, determine whether it may have been used in previous incidents of illegal waste transportation or dumping.

This is an investigative step that is far from secondary, because the analysis of the vehicle and the evidence collected during the inspection could allow us to understand whether this is an isolated incident or the result of a broader activity.

Municipal Police and Army together

The operation involved officers from the Terzigno and Poggiomarino Municipal Police, led respectively by Commanders Francesco De Rosa and Carmine Bucciero, along with Italian Army soldiers from the Campania Group.

This, in concrete terms, is the operational model the two municipalities have decided to focus on: pooling people, tools, and enforcement capabilities to more effectively combat illegal dumping and the illegal transportation of waste.

The protocol, in fact, is based on a specific consideration: the phenomenon doesn't stop at administrative borders. Therefore, collaboration between neighboring territories can allow for more effective monitoring of vehicle movements and intervention even when the illegal conduct affects multiple municipal areas.
Carillo: "United institutions and a decisive presence."

Terzigno Mayor Salvatore Carillo emphasizes the value of the operation as the first concrete implementation of the agreement.

"We promoted this protocol based on a simple observation: those who illegally dump waste don't respect the boundaries between municipalities. To effectively combat this phenomenon, a coordinated response is needed, bringing together personnel, resources, and enforcement tools," Carillo emphasizes.

For the mayor, the seizure therefore represents an initial confirmation of the adopted strategy: "Today's seizure demonstrates that this collaboration can produce concrete results."

Carillo then thanked Gabriella D'Orso, the Special Commissioner of the Municipality of Poggiomarino, with whom he shared the process that led to the signing of the protocol, and the forces involved in the operation, "for working in perfect synergy."

"This is the path we intend to follow: united institutions and an increasingly effective presence in the area," adds the mayor, who also thanks the Prefect of Naples, Michele Di Bari, "for his availability, institutional support, and the collaboration he has ensured since the beginning."

D'Orso: "The Municipal Police Force has been strengthened."

On the Poggiomarino front, Special Commissioner Gabriella D'Orso emphasizes strengthening the control system as a key element of the new strategy.

"What happened is an important signal and tells us that the path we've taken is the right one," says D'Orso, explaining that the need for a more effective presence in the area had emerged since taking office.

This strengthening primarily involved the Municipal Police: "We strengthened the Municipal Police force, increasing it from 5 to 16 officers, but we knew it wouldn't be enough: we needed to network with other municipalities and pool manpower and resources."

Hence the decision to build a structured collaboration with Terzigno. "The protocol signed with Terzigno stems from this conviction, and the results encourage us to continue along this path," the commissioner concludes.
The seizure of the van thus represents the first step in a strategy aimed at increasing enforcement and combating not only waste dumping but also its illegal transportation. Investigations into the vehicle and its occupants will now provide further insight into the extent of the incident.