SCENES FROM THE FAR WEST IN SASSARI
Sassari, June 29, 2024. The tranquility of the Sassari suburbs has been shattered by a criminal act that seems to have come straight out of an action movie. An armed commando attacked the vault of the Mondialpol security institute, taking away several bags of money intended for pension payments. The operation, which took place around 8:30 p.m., was carried out with military precision and unprecedented violence.
THE ASSAULT: A MILITARY STRATEGY
The criminals, at least ten, were armed with Kalashnikovs and dressed in camouflage and bulletproof vests. They used an excavator to break through the wall of the Mondialpol headquarters in Caniga. The bucket of the mechanical vehicle allowed them to open a hole in the wall of the building, through which they took the bags of money. At the same time, other members of the commando climbed over the fence with a ladder, entering the premises and shooting to intimidate the security guards.
THE ESCAPE: CARS ON FIRE AND NAILS ON THE ASPHALT
The bandits’ escape was equally spectacular. They loaded the money into a white Fiat Ducato van and headed toward Cagliari. To cover their escape, they set fire to several cars and covered the asphalt of the main access roads with nails, blocking traffic and making it difficult for law enforcement to intervene. A carabinieri car, which arrived on the scene during the robbery, was riddled with bullets. The two carabinieri on board were saved thanks to the bulletproof windshield.
AN ACTION COORDINATED DOWN TO THE SMALLEST DETAILS
The commando’s action was studied in detail. While part of the gang entered the vault, others blocked all main access routes. The anti-robbery plan was launched throughout northern Sardinia, with checkpoints on the main roads in the Sassari and Nuoro areas, and with the Carabinieri helicopter hovering over the city throughout the night. However, despite the massive deployment of forces, the bandits managed to disappear.
A WORRYING PHENOMENON
This attack is the third in a few years against the Mondialpol vault in Caniga. In 2018, the robbers stole 10 million euros. The resurgence and violence of these criminal gangs worries the authorities and the population. Massimo Zucconi Martelli, deputy general secretary of SIAP, declared: “The resurgence and violence of these criminal gangs dedicated to robbing cash vans and even vaults, requires an immediate reaction from the State”.
THE AUTHORITIES’ RESPONSE
Zucconi Martelli underlined the serious lack of personnel that does not allow effective control of the territory. “Only by pure chance, a lot of luck and the highest professionalism of the operators there was no death among the police forces”, he added. The SIAP urges an immediate dispatch of reinforcement personnel to all police offices in the province of Sassari, because the situation has become unsustainable.
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Sardinia, and in particular the province of Sassari, must not become a wild west. Local and national authorities are called to respond firmly to this escalation of violence. The safety of citizens and institutions must be an absolute priority. The population anxiously awaits concrete measures to be taken to prevent further incidents of this kind. The attack on the Mondialpol vault is a wake-up call that cannot be ignored. Sardinia’s security and tranquility depend on the authorities’ ability to respond decisively and promptly to these threats. The hope is that episodes like this will not be repeated and that justice can soon take its course, bringing those responsible to justice.
