Lentini (Siracusa), “New Holland” operation. The State Police executes 5 custody orders in prison and stops the “Excavator Gang”

The State Police of Syracuse, at the conclusion of a complex and detailed investigative activity, executed the precautionary custody orders in prison issued by the Judge for Preliminary Investigations against the members of the "excavator gang", bringing to justice five individuals, from Lentini and Francofonte.

The survey, conducted by investigators from the Lentini State Police Station, with the support of the Flying Squad of the Syracuse Police Headquarters, under the coordination of the Public Prosecutor's Office, has allowed the identification of 5 individuals considered responsible for armed robbery and multiple episodes of thefts perpetrated using the "smash" technique to the detriment of commercial activities, jewelers, credit institutions and post offices.

Over the past few months, the dangerous criminal gang has carried out a series of predatory actions, systematically making use of excavators and trucks, of stolen origin, which were used to destroy the entrances of the targeted businesses, in order to create an opening that would allow rapid access to the premises and the easy removal of the safes.

The investigation activity allowed to identify in the countryside of the “Cannellazza” district, in the territory of Carlentini, the operational base of the “excavator gang”, where the criminal activities were planned and the means used to carry out the break-ins were hidden.

The choice of these operational shelters was not random, since their strategic location guaranteed easy connections with the Calatino area and the northern province of Syracuse. Specifically, the internal roads of Contrada Cannellazza allowed for an easier escape where there was the presence of the police, which in recent weeks had become increasingly pressing, so much so as to prevent and avoid some robberies that the arrested had already organized.

The use of the Palermo Flight Department helicopter and a series of stakeouts in the countryside of the Cannellazza district allowed the personnel of the Lentini State Police Station to find, on several occasions, excavators and trucks stolen from local companies, as well as part of the loot stolen in Vizzini during the theft of some banking institutions.

The investigations have shown how the criminal group was structurally organized and characterized by a marked propensity to commit crime. Before carrying out each robbery, the members of the organization carried out preliminary inspections of the points of interest, confirming a marked operational capacity, aimed at maximizing the effectiveness of the criminal conduct and a rapid departure from the scene of the crime.

Among the various members of the commando, there were skilled excavator drivers, capable of carrying out the stealth action in a few minutes and before the police could arrive in time to intercept them.

It was also discovered that the members of the criminal commando had weapons and explosive material at their disposal, the latter used to break into the ATMs stolen during the robberies at the banking institutions.

In fact, once the excavator gang had been removed, they were able to blow up the ATMs using the “marmot” technique, an explosive device that, once triggered, caused the cash register to detonate, allowing the perpetrators of the theft to take possession of the money.

During the night, the police officers of the Lentini State Police Station and the Flying Squad of the Syracuse Police Headquarters executed the custody orders in prison of the 5 subjects.