Italian police find $3.6 million in cash hidden in apartment’s walls, floors and furniture
Italian authorities have arrested 34 people and discovered €3.2 million hidden in walls, floors, and furniture during a major anti-mafia raid in Naples.
On Monday, Italian police discovered €3.2 million ($3.6 million) concealed within the walls, floors and furniture of an apartment in Naples during a dawn raid that resulted in the arrest of 34 individuals. The cash was found in bundles of 50-euro notes, wrapped in cellophane and organized in neat rows under floor and wall tiles, as well as hidden in drawers within wardrobe closets.
The bundles were removed in plastic mop buckets and placed in an armored vehicle. Alongside the cash, police uncovered 11 high-end Rolex watches, as well as weapons and evidence related to drug trafficking.
The operation, which spanned several months, was spearheaded by Neapolitan anti-mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri. He disclosed that authorities had intercepted the mobile phones of incarcerated mobsters, smuggled in by relatives. Gratteri emphasized the significance of the operation, stating that the €3.2 million in cash, along with the valuable watches, was seized from a single residence.
Informants had provided crucial evidence to prosecutors, leading to the arrests. The suspects are believed to be part of the infamous Angelino clan, which had infiltrated Caivano to such an extent that the local government had been placed under judicial administration the previous year. In 2023, the Italian government introduced the "Caivano Model," an urban regeneration and crime-prevention initiative aimed at addressing juvenile crime and offering alternatives to drug dealing.
The 34 individuals arrested are charged with mafia-style association, drug trafficking, extortion, and possession of drugs intended for sale. Besides the cash, firearms, and watches, authorities also discovered the criminal group's operational methods, characterized by Gratteri as an "entrepreneurial" approach, involving individuals on rotating shifts to carry out illegal activities like drug dealing and extortion.
The seized funds will be allocated to the Italian "Justice Fund," which provides assistance to victims of organized crime. However, Gratteri, whose department has faced budget cuts, jokingly suggested that some of the money should be used to fund additional wiretaps.
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