Rione Traiano, the 'just-in-time' drug stronghold led by Maurizio Attanasio and Raffaele Pezzuti, the Milanese.

Naples – Public housing complexes transformed into bunkers with reinforced doors and video surveillance. Management of the drug dealing hubs in the Traiano district included eight-hour shifts, overtime, training courses for pushers, and mobile lookouts. Cash and luxury goods seized.

The million-dollar business of the Traiano district

A turnover of €450 a month. That's the dizzying sum earned by the drug dealing hubs in the heart of the Traiano district, in western Naples, dismantled at dawn by a massive Carabinieri raid.

The operation, coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate, led to the execution of 31 precautionary measures signed by investigating judge Fabrizia Fiore against an equal number of members of the Petrone-Puccinelli clans, who had already been targeted by a similar raid in 2017.

A well-oiled, ruthless, and militarized criminal system, capable of withstanding investigative pressure thanks to a tightly controlled logistical structure and a rigid division of labor. In the 850-plus pages of the precautionary order, investigators precisely outline the roles of the organization's leaders: among them are Maurizio Attanasio (known as Pascazziello) and Raffaele Pezzuti (known as O' Milanese, so nicknamed because he was born in Bollate, in the province of Milan).

The “just in time” technique and underground bunkers

General Biagio Storniolo revealed the details of the drug holding company, highlighting the use of a "just in time" technique: the goods were never left with the dealers, but were carefully guarded elsewhere and transferred only moments before being sold to customers.

The trafficking operation was concentrated in the so-called "34," an underground bunker built illegally within municipally owned premises (which had already been seized in the past). The basements of the public housing buildings had been literally stolen from their rightful owners, protected by heavy iron armor, and transformed into 24-hour drug dealing centers, where, in addition to sales, consumption on the premises was also permitted.

Shifts, overtime, and "school" for pushers

The criminal organization, as Naples Prosecutor Nicola Gratteri explained, operated with the precision of a structured business. Each drug dealing location was run by a single family. The dealers worked strict eight-hour shifts, with the possibility of overtime.

Also surprising is the level of specialization that emerged from the investigations conducted by the Bagnoli Operations Unit between October 2023 and July 2026: the older pushers acted as "masters" to the new recruits, teaching them the best techniques for cutting cocaine and maximizing profits.

Completing the picture was an impressive security apparatus, consisting of video surveillance cameras and mobile lookouts—never deployed in the same spots to avoid fixed patterns—whose sole task was to monitor the area and signal the arrival of law enforcement.

The raid and the seized treasure

To penetrate the Camorra stronghold, a massive deployment of forces was launched at dawn, involving the use of the special "Cacciatori" units, the canine unit, and air support from helicopters.

During the searches, the Carabinieri also dealt a heavy blow to illicit assets: they seized 53 euros in cash, a Rolex watch worth approximately 15 euros, five loose diamonds, and a diamond-studded necklace whose true value is still being ascertained.

Alphabetical list of those arrested

Attanasio Maurizio (Prison)
Borsella Pasquale (Prison)
Caiazza Emanuele (Prison)
Caruso Salvatore (Prison)
Giuseppe Chiantone (House Arrest)
Clear Paul (Prison)
Easter Cuccurullo (Prison)
Luigi Delle Donne (Prison)
De Solda Massimo (Prison)
Deviato Marco (Prison)
El Shabrawj Mario (Prison)
Gaiangos Giovanna (Prison)
Gheorghe Dumitru Nicusor (Prison)
Iuliano Salvatore (Prison)
Liguori Ivan (Prison)
Martino Antonio (Prison)
Nocera Daniele (Prison)
Nocera Luigi (Prison)
Ottiero Salvatore (Prison)
Palermo Stefano (Prison)
Pezzuti Raffaele (Prison)
Pisa Alessandro (Prison)
Pisa Pasquale (Prison)
Pistuggia Pietro (Prison)
Ricci Salvatore (Prison)
Sica Pasquale (Prison)
Tarantino Alfredo (Prison)
Taranrtino Antonio (Prison)
Valenza Marco (Prison)
Tranchese Simeone (under investigation)
Volonnino Ciro (under investigation)