Italian authorities have arrested 34 people and discovered €3.2 million, approximately $3.6 million, hidden in the walls, floors, and furniture of an apartment in Naples. The anti-mafia raid, which took place on Monday, was a major operation led by Neapolitan anti-mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri. According to a statement from the Naples Carabinieri military police, the cash was found in bundles of 50-euro notes at an address in Caivano.
The banknotes, wrapped in cellophane and stacked in neat rows, were hidden under floor and wall tiles and in hidden drawers in wardrobe closets. Police used plastic mop buckets to carry out the cash and placed it in an armored vehicle. In addition to the large sum of money, authorities also found 11 luxury Rolex watches, along with weapons and drug selling paraphernalia. The raid was part of a months-long sting operation that involved wiretapping the cellphones of incarcerated mobsters in prison.
The wiretaps were smuggled into prison by relatives of the inmates. According to Gratteri, the authorities were tipped off by informants who gave evidence to prosecutors in exchange for protection. Those arrested are allegedly part of the notorious Angelino clan, which had infiltrated Caivano to such an extent that the local government was put under judicial administration last year.
The Angelino clan's presence in Caivano led to the introduction of an urban regeneration and crime-prevention scheme called the "Caivano Model" in 2023. The scheme, introduced by Giorgia Meloni's government, aims to identify a model of intervention that can be applied to degraded areas in the country. The scheme considers not only the scourge of juvenile crime but also offers something positive and alternative to the street, to drug dealing.
However, after Monday's arrests, several opposition party members pointed to the raid as a failure of the initiative. Opposition parliamentarian Francesco Borrelli of the Greens and Left Alliance said that the reality that emerged from the investigation was different from what was portrayed by the government. The 34 people arrested are accused of mafia-style crime association, drug trafficking, extortion, and possession of drugs for the purpose of dealing.
Authorities say they were able to uncover the methodology of the crime ring, which used an "entrepreneurial" style, placing people on staggered shifts to carry out alleged illegal activities. The money that was retrieved will go to the country's "Justice Fund," which supports victims of organized crime. Gratteri joked that some of the money should go to cover further wiretaps, as his department has faced cuts from the government in recent months.
Gratteri's department will use the seized funds to continue their operations, as they need to carry out several more operations like this. The raid is a significant blow to the Angelino clan and a demonstration of the authorities' efforts to combat organized crime in Naples. The "Caivano Model" will continue to be implemented in an effort to prevent crime and offer alternatives to young people in degraded areas.
Key points
- Italian authorities discovered $3.6 million in cash hidden in an apartment in Naples.
- The raid led to the arrest of 34 people allegedly part of the Angelino clan.
- The seized funds will go to the country's "Justice Fund," which supports victims of organized crime.
