Naples, illegal shipyards in the Posillipo caves: 200 boats seized, 8 reports filed

Naples – The thousand-year-old tuff rock of the Posillipo coast has been gutted and transformed into a clandestine workshop, hidden from prying eyes and in defiance of any landscape protection. This is the scenario brought to light by the major raid conducted by officers of the Naples Metropolitan Police, led by Commander Lucia Rea, which led to the preventive seizure of two monumental natural caves used as illegal shipyards.

The operation ended with a heavy toll: eight people reported at large, approximately two hundred vessels seized, and a total area of ​​over 5.500 square meters reclaimed from an illegal activity rooted at the water's edge.

From boathouses to the shoreline to the family business

The heart of the raid was the evocative Cenito Bay Cave. Here, investigators found a veritable marine garage right on the shoreline, equipped with workbenches, mechanical tools, and hundreds of hulls stored indoors.

Investigations revealed that the business was run by a convicted felon currently under house arrest outside the region; the day-to-day operational management of the storage and repairs was delegated to the man's sons, who ran the facility without any state, environmental, or commercial authorization.

Seals at Riva Fiorita and the joint intervention

A short distance away, the second front of the intervention involved the Riva Fiorita area, a short distance from the presidential residence of Villa Rosebery. This second tuff cavity also housed a garage and a completely empty mechanical workshop.

The raid involved officers, petty officers, and agents from the Naval Group working in concert with the Metropolitan Police's Environmental Section, supported by specialized personnel from the NISA Unit, who cataloged the vehicles and secured the access points.

The common thread with the Giugliano hinterland

The investigations did not stop at the city's coastal strip. Asset and logistical checks allowed the investigation to be extended to the hinterland of Giugliano in Campania. In the area north of the capital, three additional shipbuilding companies were sealed: at least one of these was found to be directly linked to the financial interests of the same convicted criminal at the center of the Posillipo investigation, confirming an organized supply chain capable of operating between sea and inland.

Customer Investigations

While cross-checks continue on the registration numbers and owners of the vessels found in the caves to determine any further responsibilities, the case has been split by territorial jurisdiction. The documents relating to the environmental damage and abuses committed in the Posillipo caves have been forwarded to the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office; the reports and seizures carried out in the northern area have been formally referred to the magistrates of the Naples North Prosecutor's Office.

And speaking of customers, a sign had been placed at the entrance to one of the two seized caves that read: "Pay your bills at least two days before the launch, without asking for further extensions to avoid unpleasant rejections."