Blitz in diretta contro il clan a Mappatella Beach a Napoli: via ombrelloni e lettini abusivi

Mappatella Beach isn't just about the blue umbrellas provided to beachgoers free of charge by the City of Naples. There are also those rented out by a group of illegal operators for five and ten euros to unsuspecting tourists and even to Neapolitans themselves. In fact, they were there until a joint raid by local police and Carabinieri seized thirteen umbrellas, hidden in a specially created hole in the shower and restroom area, twenty-one plastic chairs, four deck chairs, six tables, and at least fifty beverages, including water, beer, and soda, hidden inside one of the public portable toilets, which had become the private storage area of ​​the illegitimate beach owners. An electric scooter with enhanced acceleration was also seized, along with more than €100, the proceeds of the illegal business, earned in just three or four hours of "work." The Operation The operation is the final step in an investigation that the Carabinieri of the Chiaia station, led by acting commander Lieutenant Antonio Scognamiglio, and the local police of the Chiaia operational unit, coordinated by Major Bruno Capuano, have been carrying out in recent days through stakeouts and checks to document the illegal activity and gather evidence of the demand for money in exchange for the supply of umbrellas and chairs. This lucrative business is managed by individuals connected to a powerful Camorra family on the Riviera di Chiaia, which has always controlled the public beach areas along the seafront, as if they were a private lido. These individuals are repeat offenders who have often distinguished themselves by attacking those attempting to collect images and testimonies to expose this illegal business, which is repeated every day in broad daylight, on social media. The words "Operations like this serve not only to restore law and order, but also to restore a better image of the city to the many tourists who visit and the residents who live there," explains Bruno Capuano, commander of the Chiaia local police unit, adding: "Many are deceived by these individuals and are convinced that they have to pay to swim and sunbathe on the beach. In this regard, we have also identified numerous tourists who believe that renting these umbrellas was part of an institutional activity carried out by the municipal authority. To pass this idea would tarnish the city's image. And that is also why we intervened." Major Capuano's words are also confirmed by some tourists on the beach, who almost complain to the police who intervened to interrupt their day at the beach: "We will never come to Naples again," says an annoyed woman from Genoa who is relaxing with her husband and son at Mappatella Beach. Only when the Carabinieri and the municipal police called them into their office to provide testimony for the record did they realize they had been victims of abuse and that the police were there to protect them. The raid The joint operation between the local police and the Carabinieri began around 9:00 a.m. But before intervening on Mappatella Beach, officers and soldiers extensively monitored the movements of some members of the criminal group, tailing them and setting up a post to locate the warehouse where the umbrellas are kept, which are continually brought to the beach based on the presence of bathers. The electric scooter seized during the raid was, in fact, the very vehicle used to commute between the Via Caracciolo seafront and the alleys near the Riviera di Chiaia, where the local clans have their strongholds. Until the arrival of the uniforms on the beach put an end to the organization's activities. In his final assessment of the operation, Major Capuano emphasized the importance of the daily work done to combat illegal beach umbrella rentals at Mappatella Beach: "Not long ago, we intervened to block the rental of beach umbrellas. We hoped they would stop, but that didn't happen. That's why we intervened again and will be ready to do so again if necessary. Meanwhile, the two beach umbrella operators have been reported to the judicial authorities for unauthorized trading on public maritime property." By Mattia Bufi and Achille Strombetta Coordination: Marco Piscitelli