The State Police of Taranto has executed an application ordinance of personal precautionary measures (5 of pre-trial detention in prison and 8 of house arrest), ordered by the Judge against thirteen subjects, seriously suspected, in various capacities, of association crimes aimed at the theft of cars, stolen goods, laundering and extortion.
The investigation began in February 2018, on the basis of numerous reports of theft of cars consumed in the capital and in the province of Taranto, and made it possible to ascertain the operation (until the end of June 2018) of an articulated organization operating mainly in the province of Taranto (but with criminal episodes subsequently detected also in the provinces of Brindisi and Lecce), committed to the commission of multiple crimes against property, mainly theft of latest generation cars (Fiat 500, Fiat Panda, Lancia Y and Land Rover “Evoque”), receiving stolen goods and / or extortion against the legitimate owners (so-called “return horse”).
This association boasted the availability not only of vehicles, infrastructures, tools and tools useful for breaking into cars, but also of electronic control units of the latest generation cars, of premises where to keep the materials necessary to carry out the thefts, or where to temporarily park the stolen vehicles, of professionals with proven experience (mechanics and body builders). An association capable of carrying out numerous illegal operations - to the point of inducing one of the suspects to argue "... cut the cars and we bring them ... every day I bring one!").
Next to the figure of the leaders - subjects of high criminal caliber, who decided the illicit operations to be carried out, holding the ranks of negotiations with the victims of extortion and with the professionals who cooperated for the recycling of stolen cars, and sometimes called pure to settle small conflicts that arose between the various members regarding the sharing of profits -, other subjects (including a woman, not recipient of measure) who collaborated in the thefts and in the management of the "return horses", and whose contribution was however indispensable in view of the realization of the various blows planned by the top management. In all, the subjects identified and investigated are 22.
The intercepted conversations were characterized by a high allusiveness, the suspects resorting to their "codification" or "encryption", using symbolic expressions, such as the term "girls" to indicate stolen cars, or "sale" to allude to operation of the "return horse".
Regarding this last aspect of the investigation, in some cases the victims reported the theft of their car, and then, after a few days, they reported that it had been "found" on the public road. A circumstance that obviously aroused suspicion. The investigations made it possible to ascertain in several cases that the car whose theft was reported was in the availability of the suspects - who then moved it and placed it in the place where the owner later found it -, and that the people offenses were put in contact (most of the time through relatives or friends) with the same suspects; which proved how the car was found after a ransom was paid.
The cars were delivered at some depots / workshops in the province in time slots where, thanks to the lesser darkness, there was the risk of incurring road checks.
The transfer of the vehicles took place so quickly and through multiple subjects, that in one circumstance - in which the car of the wife of a known criminal for mafia-type association had been robbed -, although the suspects tried to recover and returning the car (in the meantime already transferred elsewhere, presumably to Brindisi) were no longer successful.
In another case, however, the suspects were in turn victims of aggression and threats by other subjects in the Paolo VI district of Taranto (in turn investigated), who recriminated the suffering theft of the car of a relative. immediately the year before, demanding the return of the amount in cash or, alternatively, the delivery of a "new" car, threatening heavy retaliation. Following the intermediation of a "guarantor", the one who was held responsible for the theft obtained the favor of extinguishing the "debt" in installments, the payment of which was in any case solicited several times through various intimidations (with beatings and even with the threat of a gun).
Sometimes the cars were instead sold directly by the suspects. This is the case of a 500 "Abarth" that was promised to a subject at the price of 1500 euros, only to interrupt the negotiations having opted again for the usual "return horse".
The group of suspects also possessed weapons. On 23 April 2018, a local search was carried out inside the home of one of the suspects as well as a local box attributable to him, revealing a clandestine pistol complete with cal. 7,65, as well as (confirming the illegal activities of the group) a large quantity of tools suitable for burglary, modified control units for starting motor vehicles and other objects of certain stealthy origin taken from inside the many stolen cars.