(See ‘Car theft gang busted, arrests …’ at 8:03) (ANSA) – TRANI, JUNE 28 – They were capable of stealing a car in one or two minutes at most, also using advanced technologies to evade interventions by the police, such as frequency jammers. These are the 45 thefts of high-powered cars carried out between December 2023 and May 2024, for a total economic value of approximately 1.5 million euros, contested to the alleged criminal organization busted by the Police in the provinces of Barletta-Andria-Trani and Foggia. The agents of the Flying Squad, in collaboration with colleagues from the central operational service of the central anti-crime directorate, have notified 26 precautionary measures issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Trani at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Specifically, 14 orders of custody in prison, 9 under house arrest, two obligations to report to the judicial police and one obligation to reside in the municipality of residence. They are charged, to varying degrees, with criminal association aimed at the theft, money laundering and receiving stolen cars. The suspects, taking action simultaneously, were able to steal up to four vehicles per night. Often, according to the prosecution’s hypotheses, the stolen cars were taken to compliant car dismantlers, mainly in the Cerignola area, and dismantled for the sale of the components. The details of the operation were illustrated during a press conference held at the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Trani. The technical activities revealed that many thefts were commissioned, with precise indications on the model and technical specifications of the vehicles. In one wiretap, for example, they discussed the type of headlight that the vehicle to be stolen had to have. “Hey… see if you can find me a 3008 with normal headlight,” the customer asked. “Normal headlights, not LEDs?”, one of the gang members replied. “Yes, normal headlights.” On other occasions, using the term “pizze,” they agreed on the number of cars to steal.
