Turin, 19 Aug. (LaPresse) – The State Police have arrested 10 people, all women, including some minors, who are believed to be jointly responsible for around a hundred thefts committed at the airport against passengers in transit. The investigation, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Busto Arsizio and the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office in Milan – which led to the issuance of pre-trial detention orders for all those under investigation – revealed a well-established modus operandi: the perpetrators of the numerous offences, exploiting the crowds in the lifts and concealing their movements with bags or jackets, distracted their victims in order to snatch wallets, cash and valuables with extreme speed. Reconstructing the individual incidents and identifying the perpetrators required meticulous analysis and verification carried out by Border Police officers. The lightning-fast execution of the thefts – often carried out in a matter of seconds without the victims immediately realising what had happened – made it particularly difficult to link incidents that occurred at different times and in different places. A thorough examination of CCTV footage, the comparison of still images with police identity photos, and stakeout and surveillance operations proved to be crucial. In addition to the Malpensa Border Police, other police forces across the country were involved in carrying out the precautionary measures, a fact which highlights the suspects’ high level of mobility and the danger they pose.
Milan: thefts at Malpensa Airport; 10 women arrested
Turin, 19 Aug. (LaPresse) – The State Police have arrested 10 people, all women, including some minors, who are believed to be jointly responsible for around a hundred thefts committed at the airport against passengers in transit. The investigation, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Busto Arsizio and the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office in Milan – which led to the issuance of pre-trial detention orders for all those under investigation – revealed a well-established modus operandi: the perpetrators of the numerous offences, exploiting the crowds in the lifts and concealing their movements with bags or jackets, distracted their victims in order to snatch wallets, cash and valuables with extreme speed. Reconstructing the individual incidents and identifying the perpetrators required meticulous analysis and verification carried out by Border Police officers. The lightning-fast execution of the thefts – often carried out in a matter of seconds without the victims immediately realising what had happened – made it particularly difficult to link incidents that occurred at different times and in different places. A thorough examination of CCTV footage, the comparison of still images with police identity photos, and stakeout and surveillance operations proved to be crucial. In addition to the Malpensa Border Police, other police forces across the country were involved in carrying out the precautionary measures, a fact which highlights the suspects’ high level of mobility and the danger they pose.