Naples: The "AirTag Gang" has been busted: they stole luxury cars by tracking them with hidden GPS devices.

The Carabinieri of the Vomero Company they performed aorder implementing house arrest precautionary measures issued by the Court of Naples at the request of the local Public Prosecutor's Office.

I Four recipients of the measure are seriously suspected, to varying degrees, of criminal conspiracy aimed at the theft of cars and motorcycles, which occurred in Naples and in various municipalities in Campania – on public roads or in homes – as well as robbery against one of the owners who noticed the theft in progress.

The investigation, coordinated by the VII Section "Urban Security" of the Naples Prosecutor's Office and conducted by the Marianella Carabinieri station of Naples, through dynamic activities, analysis of the cellular devices used by the perpetrators and of private or city video surveillance systemsi, integrated with technical-scientific investigations carried out on biological traces by the Scientific Investigations Section of the Provincial Command of the Carabinieri of Naples and the RIS of Rome, has allowed us to collect evidence against the current suspects and to reveal the operation of acriminal association which, based in Scampia district, committed crimes on the entire Campania region.

In particular, the activities allowed to outline the modus operandi of the association, within which the role of the leader and promoter - that he planned the thefts in detail, that he kept in touch with the receivers with whom he negotiated the sale price of the stolen vehicles and oversaw the distribution of the profits – and of the participants.

The associates, using periodically replaced rental cars, after having identified the vehicles of interest – often cars of great economic value – they placed GPS tracking devices in the rearview mirrors or in the bumper, with the aim of monitoring them, to then follow up on the criminal action at the most favorable occasions.

During the investigation, the following were found: 22 incidents of theft occurred In the Vomero, Fuorigrotta, Posillipo, and Soccavo neighborhoods of Naples and in the municipalities of Aversa, Marcianise, Giugliano in Campania, Casoria, Trecase, Pozzuoli, San Giuseppe Vesuviano, and Santa Maria La Fossa, burglary tools, various car emblems from well-known luxury car brands, and advanced equipment for programming and regenerating electronic vehicle keys were seized.