Naples, January 18 – Salvatore Autiero, 43, a man with a history of criminal activity and considered a key component of a large-scale criminal network specializing in home burglaries, was apprehended at Capodichino Airport, Naples, as he returned from Tirana. The arrest was carried out by the Naples Investigative Unit of the Carabinieri. Autiero had managed to evade a significant police operation on January 13, which targeted seven criminal groups operating across Campania and Lazio.
Autiero’s Role in Extensive Theft Ring
Following his arrest, Autiero was immediately taken into custody. According to investigators, the 43-year-old was part of one of the criminal organizations that, between June 2023 and October 2024, allegedly carried out dozens of apartment burglaries and aggravated frauds. Their activities spanned the provinces of Naples, Caserta, Benevento, Salerno, and Avellino, as well as Frosinone and Rome.
The ongoing investigation has led to the execution of pre-trial detention orders for 38 individuals. These individuals are seriously suspected of criminal association aimed at home burglaries, receiving stolen goods, and fraud against vulnerable victims. A total of sixty-five charges have been brought, with an estimated illicit profit of approximately 105,000 euros. One of the dismantled gangs had reportedly planned, though ultimately did not execute, burglaries at the Fendi villa and the residence of the Governor of the Bank of Italy.
Sophisticated Modus Operandi and Evasion Tactics
The criminal groups employed well-established methods. They operated with two or three lookouts positioned outside while entering apartments using altered or universal keys capable of opening various types of locks. In many instances, they even managed to pry open and remove safes. After a successful heist, they would flee in specially modified cars equipped with hidden compartments to conceal tools, jewelry, and cash. On some occasions, the thieves would disguise themselves as delivery riders for well-known companies to avoid suspicion.
Autiero’s name frequently appeared in intercepted telephone conversations. In one instance, he was cryptically informed about waiting for “another ten minutes” before abandoning an operation. In another, an accomplice warned him not to discard a cigarette packet left near the car’s gearstick, stating: “The gold is in there.”
Secondigliano-Based Gang and Their Tools
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Autiero was part of an eight-person “crew” based in the Secondigliano district, which moved to various areas of the city to carry out their crimes. The group utilized low-frequency walkie-talkies for communication and possessed a vast arsenal of tools for forcing doors, gates, and locks, including universal keys like the so-called “Topolino” (Mickey Mouse key), suitable for opening popular lock brands such as Cisa, Mottura, Cr, and Campisa. To support their criminal activities, they used dedicated mobile phones and SIM cards registered to foreign nominees or fictitious identities. They also employed vehicles exclusively for their heists, including an Opel Meriva, a Ford Fiesta, two Lancia Ypsilons, and a green Fiat Seicento.
Autiero’s Extensive Criminal Record
Investigators describe Autiero as an individual “historically dedicated to illicit activities.” He has numerous prior convictions for property crimes, receiving stolen goods, illegal possession of weapons, drug offenses, and criminal association. In June 2013, he was arrested by the Carabinieri station in Macerata Campania, in the Caserta area, as part of another investigation into home burglaries that also involved some of the suspects in the current inquiry. Furthermore, he has repeatedly violated the conditions of precautionary measures imposed on him, frequently escaping from house arrest.
This arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing efforts to dismantle organized criminal groups responsible for a wave of high-profile burglaries across southern Italy.
