Casal di Principe: arrested for usury and extortion with mafia methods.

La District Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Naples has delegated the Carabinieri of the Casal di Principe Company to execute an order of pre-trial detention in prison, issued by the GIP of the Court of Naples, against two suspects held responsible for usury and extortion with the aggravating circumstance of mafia method, in conjunction with two other defendants at large.

The investigations, carried out by the military of the Arma and coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of Naples, have highlighted a thriving usurious activity carried out by today's suspects to the detriment of numerous victims. The investigators have found the granting of large sums of money as credit, for which the two subjects would have claimed rates that would range between 25 and 40% per month, ensuring a Estimated earnings of around 14.000 euros on a single loan of 500 euros.

The identikit of the victims describes entrepreneurs in financial difficulty or people in serious state of need, who would have needed such sums to ensure the basic living needs of their family unit.

The activity carried out allowed us to reconstruct the money flow in detail , violence exercised by the two suspects to guarantee their earnings. The elements collected, which emerged from wiretaps and searches, led to the discovery of a ledger in which all incoming and outgoing cash receipts were recorded.

The investigations also collected the statements from many exasperated victims who, unable to honour the debts contracted with the two suspects, confirmed to the Carabinieri what had been reconstructed. Some victims were allegedly subjected to serious threats to obtain the restitution of the sums, conduct which also led to the accusation of extortion against the suspects.

To make matters worse, their situation is proximity to a well-known top member of the Casalesi clan, operating in the Aversa countryside and recently arrested for extortion aggravated by the mafia method. This condition, well known to the victims, would have made it easier for the suspects to obtain the return of the sums lent.