On the morning of 18 April, 113 was reported that a theft had just been committed in an apartment in Matera, in a street not far from the centre, and that the perpetrators had left in a large car. Thus, several crews of the Flying Squad and the Flying Squad, promptly alerted, set out on the trail of the alleged thieves, also positioning themselves at the exit of the city, in the direction of Altamura, where, shortly after, they saw the the car in question. A chase ensued, which lasted until the fleeing car was forced to slow down due to the presence of two trucks, one of which was overtaking, which were blocking the road.
At that point, the vehicle’s movement was abruptly interrupted, from which three men emerged, climbed over the guardrail and ran away into the surrounding countryside. At that point, the police continued the chase on foot, managing to reach and block two of the three fugitives, arresting them. The two men, aged 34 and 37 from Bari, are already known for similar crimes.
Inside the car, 500 euros in banknotes, numerous gold jewellery, two piggy banks containing coins worth over 700 euros and some wristwatches were found. Also seized were a backpack with burglary tools and a blowtorch suitable for opening ATMs and safes, placed in the bonnet of the car; mobile phones, two-way radios and electrician’s gloves, found inside the passenger compartment.
The car, also seized, had counterfeit license plates and had been repainted; furthermore, in the passenger compartment, transversally to the rear seats, a steel plate was mounted, which is believed to have a bulletproof function in the event of a chase. The two men were arrested red-handed for theft and resisting a public official and taken to the prison in Matera. Investigations continue to identify the third person who managed to escape capture.
