Foggia, serial pharmacy robber arrested, had been on the run for 9 months

Foggia, serial pharmacy robber arrested, had been on the run for 9 months.

The State Police of Foggia, on the morning of last September 12th, adopted the pre-precautionary measure of the judicial police arrest of an almost fifty-year-old Italian citizen, seriously suspected of having committed, the day before, robberies against pharmacies in this city center.

Pharmacy robbed and threats

The man, a homeless Italian, later revealed to be a fugitive since January 2023, is seriously suspected of having committed a robbery against a first pharmacy on Monday morning. From the video surveillance images it was possible to perceive the seriousness of the incident, as shortly after entering the commercial premises, he immediately headed towards the pharmacist, and after threatening him with shards of glass, he had more than 100 euros handed over to him then walk away, losing their tracks along the streets of the centre.

The intervention of the staff of the Flying Squad of the Foggia Police Headquarters allowed the immediate acquisition of investigative ideas, which were promptly developed by the investigators of the local Flying Squad and made it possible to trace the identity of the attacker.

Not an isolated case

It was soon discovered that the man was allegedly responsible for another episode completely similar to the first. Also in this case, the images of the video surveillance systems captured the robber who, by throwing shards of glass a short distance from the face of the second victim, also a pharmacist, obtained a few dozen euros.

Given the seriousness of the facts, the dangerousness and unscrupulousness of the robber, the investigators organized seamless services to be able to identify the potential person responsible for the predatory episodes and prevent further attacks against traders in the area.

Found

On the morning of Tuesday 12 September, Flying Squad personnel managed to locate the alleged robber near the train station. Upon seeing the operators, the man attempted a hasty escape, but was immediately stopped thanks to the operational skills of the police officers who intervened.

Considering the seriousness of the facts, the dangerousness of the subject who has several criminal records against him, the danger of escape corroborated by the absence of an actual domicile and the declared absence for over 9 months, the staff of the Flying Squad of the Foggia Police Headquarters proceeded with a judicial police arrest for the accusation of aggravated robbery.

The PM on duty at the local Public Prosecutor's Office, having been informed of the investigative office's activity, ordered that the man be associated with the local prison pending validation.

A brilliant operation

“In complimenting the brilliant operation conducted by the policemen of the Flying Squad of the Foggia Police Headquarters – intervenes the Police Commissioner of the province of Foggia – I intend to underline how an increasingly dense video surveillance network is necessary to raise the level of security”.

“The possibility of having the images immediately available and the use of sophisticated software from the Scientific Police has made it possible to give – concludes the Commissioner –, in a very short time, an identity to a dangerous criminal who committed two robberies last Monday against pharmacies in the city centre, threatening people with broken glass. The essential need to implement video surveillance was reiterated and shared in a recent meeting in the Prefecture with trade associations".