Major Crime Syndicate Involved in Aggravated Theft and Receiving Stolen Goods Dismantled

They are accused of being part of a criminal association aimed at committing aggravated thefts and receiving stolen goods. Personnel from the State Police executed a precautionary measure order issued by the Naples judge for preliminary investigations, at the request of the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office, against ten people. The restrictive measures (nine pre-trial detention orders in prison and one obligation of presenting oneself to the judicial police) were reached following investigations stemming from the arrest, on April 27, 2020, of four individuals of Roma ethnicity held responsible for the death of selected agent of the State Police Pasquale Apicella, who died following the violent impact with a stolen car on which the four were traveling during a pursuit. Following the development of the investigations, conducted by the agents of the mobile squad of Naples and the road police department for Campania and Basilicata, related to such homicide, the existence and operation of a criminal group was reconstructed, composed mainly of people of Roma ethnicity residing in the "Ponte Riccio" nomad camp in Giugliano in Campania, accused of thefts committed on cars parked at shopping centers and service stations in the provinces of Naples and Caserta. From the investigations, a strict division of roles among the members of the organization emerged: specifically, in addition to those who physically committed the thefts, there were others in charge of conducting reconnaissance in the identified areas, others who were responsible for sourcing the vehicles to be used on the occasion of the criminal actions, as well as enhancing their engines; yet others were involved in the subsequent receiving activities.