watches, money and diamonds for 10 million euros

A mountain of 50 and 100 euro banknotes, valuables and jewels, about fifty luxury watches, a 10 carat diamond, even a gold lighter with the initials of the boss Patrizio Bosti: the estimate is still ongoing, but for the investigators the value is at least ten million eurosThe treasure was found in a secret safe in the house of Luca Esposito, son-in-law of the boss Patrizio Bosti, who in the wiretaps it is defined as “the goose that lays the golden eggs”; the young man is among the recipients of the enforcement order of precautionary custody in prison carried out yesterday by the Police, Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza. Everything, of course, under seizure: the suspect is said to have laundered the proceeds of luxury watch sales scams.

The blitz against the Contini clan, 4 arrests

The raid was launched yesterday, July 1, in execution of the order issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Naples at the request of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate; the crimes contested, to varying degrees, are mafia association, threats, inducing not to make statements or to make false statements to the judicial authorities, money laundering and self-laundering, aggravated by the facilitating purpose of the Contini clan.

The recipients were the boss Patrizio Bosti, believed to be the head of the Secondigliano Alliance clan, his son Ettore, also already detained, his daughter Flora and his son-in-law Luca Esposito. The latter, it emerged from the investigations, was together with her two children, victims of threats from the criminal groupalso sent by the clan leader himself and therefore the boys’ grandfather, so that he would interrupt his collaboration with Justice and retract the statements he had already made.

The Treasure Trove of Luxury Watch Scams

The operation was conducted by personnel from the Naples State Police Flying Squad, the Naples Carabinieri Investigative Unit, the Naples Economic and Financial Police Unit and the Guardia di Finanza SCICO. The vault was hidden in the home in Pozzuoli, on the border with the Agnano area, and protected with iron plates. Technologically advanced tools were used to locate it; in detail, cash worth over 4 million euros, numerous valuables, gold objects, diamonds, 48 ​​luxury watches and the lighter engraved with the letters P and B, the initials of the clan leader Patrizio Bosti, were seized.

According to the investigative findings, Esposito would have accumulated the treasure with the sale of luxury watches, even of illicit origin, and with scams related to this type of trade; the proceeds would then have been laundered through companies registered to front men and active in the sectors of ferrous waste management, telephony and real estate dedicated to the issuing and use of invoices for persistent transactions.

The treasure, the colonel stressed Paul Councilcommander of the Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Guardia di Finanza of Naples in a press conference, is the result of “of highly advanced fraud and money laundering schemes that employed companies that were only active on paper and operated in various economic sectors. Two of the suspects hold top positions, two others were at large“.

Gratteri: “41bis doesn’t work”

The operation, commented the chief prosecutor of Naples in a press conference, Nicholas Gratteri“makes it clear that 41bis doesn’t work.” “We have to ask ourselves – he added – who has reduced 41bis to these conditions, with such loose meshes. There have been circulars, directives and amendments over the years that have reduced it to these conditions“.

“Thanks to the much-discussed wiretaps – added Gratteri – with the skill of the State Police, the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza they seized 48 watches worth 5 million euros and cash worth 4 million euros. I have never seen all these collector’s watches, some of which are priceless. Some are unique pieces and we asked experts to evaluate them“.

The bunker discovered with the interceptions

The treasure was discovered thanks to wiretaps which spoke of a bunker built inside Esposito’s apartment; this was announced during the conference by the commander of the Naples Carabinieri Operations Department, Andrea Leo.

“We have focused on research with specialists from various police forces – Leo explained – we located it in a cavity and after having created a hole we managed to get in thanks to a small colleague. From that room came out bundles of money, in double layer of vacuum, and various boxes of watches“.

When the money was counted, it was clear that behind that wall there were over 4 million euros in cash; for the watches, however, some of which were unique models, an ad hoc appraisal will have to be done. And there were also precious items, such as a 10-carat diamond. The soldier continued: “This is clear proof that this was the Epiphany of all the wiretaps heard so far.“.

Patricio Bosti led the 41bis clan

The boss “‘o Patrizio” continued to lead the criminal group even though he had been imprisoned for years and under the 41bis regime, that is, the harsh prison regime provided for particular crimes, including mafia association. “It strikes us that despite being under 41bis they continued to organize the clan and invest – I added John Leucihead of the Naples Flying Squad – yesterday’s order is the result of investigations by all three police forces and concerns the highest level of the Camorra, an organization that has consolidated and capitalized on the proceeds of drug dealing and extortion“.