Stolen and cannibalized cars, four arrests in Bitonto: framed by the video of a theft on social media

A gang dedicated to theft and recycling of cars in the Bari area has been defeated: four men aged between 22 and 25, all from Bitonto, were arrested by the flying squad agents. They would be responsible for a dozen thefts that occurred between April and May last year. The investigations began after the publication on social media of a video which immortalized the theft of a Mercedes parked on the Santo Spirito seafront, in Bari. In the frames, the car with the driver’s side window shattered was pushed by a black Golf which later turned out to be stolen. Driving the SUV was one of the alleged perpetrators of the theft who, together with his accomplice, traveled a few kilometers and then abandoned the vehicle in Giovinazzo, in the Bari area. After the video was published, the police began monitoring the area and thus arrived at the small group. It emerged that the suspects could count not only on a proven method for taking away the cars but also on logistical bases in which the cars used for the thefts were placed as well as various jammers, frequency inhibitors, and tools useful for break-in. Investigators ascertained that the stolen vehicles were dismantled in the countryside of Bitonto in a few minutes: some pieces ended up on the black market, while others were delivered to alleged accomplices in Cerignola, in the Foggia area, yet to be identified. During the investigation, a stolen Audi RS3 with a counterfeit chassis number was seized, which has the same characteristics as a car that had eluded the police forces several times with which it had engaged in reckless chases. Of the four suspects, three ended up under house arrest while a fourth was forced to stay.

Michela Lopez