Rome Carabinieri Arrest 15 Fugitives in Extensive Operation
Rome, June 19 – The Carabinieri in the province of Rome have successfully apprehended 15 fugitives in an extensive operation spanning the last quarter. The arrests were made in execution of definitive sentences for serious crimes, including drug trafficking, crimes against the person, and property offenses. The operation was coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rome, specifically the Department for Widespread and Serious Crime and the Enforcement Group.
The objective of the operation was to ensure that individuals definitively sentenced by the Judicial Authority effectively serve their penalties. This involved the dedicated efforts of the “Catturandi” Section of the Investigative Unit within the Provincial Command of Rome. The scope of the operation also included inserting arrest warrants into international circuits to apprehend those who had sought refuge abroad.
High-Profile Cases: International Drug Trafficking
Among the 15 arrested individuals (12 Italians, one Romanian, one Libyan, and one Sri Lankan), several high-profile cases emerged. Two individuals were apprehended for serious drug-related offenses:
- A 49-year-old Roman national was located and arrested in the Ponte Galeria area. He is to serve a sentence of 9 years, 6 months, and 8 days for the production, trafficking, and possession of narcotic and psychotropic substances. He was also involved in an association aimed at transnational drug trafficking, operating on the Morocco-Spain-Italy axis and importing marijuana. The search for him was particularly complex due to his fictitious residence and high criminal profile.
- A 49-year-old Libyan national was apprehended near a known drug dealing area in Casal Bruciato, following intensive surveillance. This individual, previously arrested in October 2024, was part of a criminal organization involved in crack and cocaine trafficking. Investigations between November 2023 and April 2024 revealed the group’s operational base: a former municipal games room transformed into a fortified gambling den protected by gates and lookouts. He faces 5 years, 6 months, and 20 days in prison.
Arrests for Crimes Against the Person: Violence and Abuse
Several other individuals were arrested for crimes against the person, as mandated by the Capitoline Judicial Authority:
- A 78-year-old Roman man was found and arrested at a support domicile in Casalotti. Investigations revealed his residence in Rocca di Papa was fictitious. He is to serve a 7-year sentence for domestic abuse, committed from 2010 to the present, and for repeated sexual violence between 2010 and 2013.
- A particularly complex case involved the location of a 32-year-old from Naples, who was arrested upon disembarking from a cruise ship at the port of Livorno. Real-time sharing of investigative information between departments was crucial in bringing this individual to justice. He faces an 8-year sentence for severe crimes against the person, dating back to June 2013, when he, along with four others, stabbed a 21-year-old Roman during an altercation near the Stadio dei Marmi.
The Carabinieri’s “Catturandi” Section also provided crucial information to local commands nationwide, leading to the swift arrest of two additional individuals with high penalties.
Fraud and Extortion: Sri Lankan National Arrested
A 43-year-old Sri Lankan national was apprehended in the Acilia district. He is to serve a sentence of 2 years and 6 months for criminal association, being part of a group involved in aggravated fraud and extortion against clients of the Capitoline company he worked for.
Other Arrests: Theft, Receiving Stolen Goods, and Threats
Another significant arrest was that of a 57-year-old Roman, captured in the Montespaccato neighborhood. He is to serve nearly 5 years in prison following a cumulative sentence issued by the Ordinary Court of Rome for crimes against the person (violence and threats against a public official) and property (aggravated theft, receiving stolen goods, improper use of credit cards) committed between 2018 and 2019.
Challenges and Overall Results of the Operation
The search operations were complicated by the precarious living conditions of some of the wanted individuals, requiring prolonged surveillance. Others had managed to blend into the urban social fabric, extending their unavailability for up to 14 years in one instance.
In addition to these high-profile cases, intensive search activities across the province of Rome, conducted by the territorial Carabinieri in collaboration with the “Catturandi” Section, led to the execution of 40 further warrants issued by the Rome Court’s Enforcement Office in the last quarter. In most cases, the wanted individuals were located and arrested within 48 hours of the search activation.
Source: Carabinieri, Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rome
