On the morning of April 18, 113 was informed of the theft in an apartment in Matera, not far from the centre, and that the perpetrators had left in a large car.
Various crews of the Flying Squad and the State Police cars therefore immediately 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 arrival, at breakneck speed, of the the car in question.
A heated chase began, 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. The police continued the chase on foot, managing to reach and block two of the three fugitives, arresting them. They are 34 and 37 year olds from Bari, 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, as well as mobile phones, two-way radios and electrician’s gloves, found inside the passenger compartment.
The car, 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 subjects, arrested flagrantly for theft and resisting a public official, were taken to Matera prison, while investigations continue to identify the third subject who managed to escape capture. (south antenna)
