A large-scale anti-mafia operation in the Caivano area on the outskirts of Naples uncovered a real financial treasure: more than 3.2 million euros professionally hidden inside walls, under floors, and in secret furniture compartments. The discovery by Italian authorities recalls movie scenes, as police had to break through structures to reveal the wealth accumulated by the Camorra criminal organization.
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The 50-euro bills were arranged in neat bundles, wrapped in transparent plastic bags and placed in compact rows. The total amount seized reached 3,296,265 euros, equivalent to approximately 3.6 million U.S. dollars. In addition to the money, investigators also confiscated 11 luxury Rolex watches, whose value is estimated at around 130,000 euros.
The operation took place on Monday, September 21, and resulted in the arrest of 34 individuals suspected of being members of a criminal network involved in drug trafficking and extortion. The apartment where the money was found belonged to Raffaele Giampella, a key figure, according to prosecutors, in the activities of the Angelino group, which operated in the area known as the “Bronx of Caivano.”
The hiding mechanisms were designed with great skill. Hollow spaces were specially created in the walls, while hidden drawers at the bottom of furniture were accessible only through sophisticated electronic commands. Information from a law enforcement officer proved crucial in locating this enormous illegal fortune.
The person responsible for guarding the money, according to the officer’s testimony, was Giampella’s wife. She made sure at all costs that the house was never left unattended for a single moment. It is even suspected that she used her children, including a minor, to organize surveillance shifts so that the premises remained under constant watch.
The case took an even more intriguing turn thanks to intercepts carried out by Italian authorities. The suspected boss of the group, Antonio Angelino, continued to issue orders directly from prison, using cellphones smuggled into his cell by family members. These monitored communications helped investigators reconstruct the hierarchy and functioning of the group, which had established a well-oiled operation mechanism despite its leaders’ isolation.
Naples prosecutor Nicola Gratteri described the organization as a full-fledged enterprise, with well-defined work shifts, supply schedules, and clearly assigned duties. According to the ANSA news agency, the supply of narcotics was carried out on Monday, while the corresponding payment had to be settled by Friday of the same week. Furthermore, many of the operations were conducted within the tight family circle, to avoid involving outsiders in the activities.
Members of the group did not hesitate to flaunt their wealth on social media, where they displayed expensive Rolex watches as a symbol of the organization’s financial power, according to accounts from justice collaborators. The Carabinieri from the investigative department of Castello di Cisterna and the operational units of Caivano and Casoria were the forces that carried out this major operation. In total, 23 of the 34 suspects ended up in jail, while the other 11 were placed under house arrest. The main charges are based on involvement in armed mafia association, drug trafficking, extortion, and possession of narcotics for the purpose of sale.
The staggering amount of seized money will be transferred to the Italian Justice Fund, a mechanism that also provides support to those harmed by organized crime. Commenting on the value captured, prosecutor Gratteri emphasized that this money alone would be enough to finance an entire year of telephone intercepts in the city of Naples.
