Eleven people were held in custody this morning by the Cagliari investigating judge , following an investigation coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate . They are seriously suspected of being members, in various capacities, of a criminal organization that was planning to attack an armored van carrying at least 30 kilograms of gold bars.

The raid, which began at dawn in the provinces of Cagliari and Nuoro, involved approximately 130 State Police officers, including Flying Squads, the Central Operations Service, the Crime Prevention Unit, canine units, the Flight Unit, and the Forensic Police.

According to the investigation, the group had identified as its target an armored van assigned to the weekly transport of gold and silver bars from a factory in San Gavino Monreale to a security company vault in the province of Arezzo . The intention was to stop the vehicle immediately after it left the factory, near the industrial area of San Gavino.

The planning for the assault was apparently developed primarily in the Cagliari area, and specifically in the municipality of San Gavino Monreale, where meetings were held to define operational strategies, divide tasks, and plan every logistical detail of the operation.

In a subsequent phase, the suspects also considered the possibility of directly targeting the vault where the valuables are stored—a structure guarded by special security guards and capable of holding quantities of precious metals worth significantly more than those transported by a single van—with an operation characterized by considerable operational complexity.

THE INSPECTOR – The contribution of the INSPECTOR, a specialized worker employed at the San Gavino plant , was crucial. According to the investigation, he provided the organization with crucial confidential information. He prepared photographic surveys not only of the armored vans present at the time of collection, but also of the entire production site and its access areas , documenting entrances, internal routes, security systems, and sensitive points within the facility. This material allowed his accomplices to develop a detailed plan to reach the vault and neutralize its defenses, with the planned use of weapons, explosives, and heavy equipment.

THE "FIRE GROUP" – The organizers also allegedly recruited individuals deemed to be of "high criminal caliber," primarily from the areas of Desulo, Villanovatulo, Arzana, and especially Fonni, to form the so-called "fire group" responsible for the actual execution . Several operational meetings were allegedly held in Fonni, all of which were intercepted by investigators.

In the meantime, the logistics had been prepared: stolen vehicles were first hidden in the industrial area of Isili, then transferred to Busachi, from where the commando would have moved into action to intercept the armored van along State Road 131, towards Olbia.

THE RAID – The investigations —conducted through wiretaps, environmental and computer surveillance, tailing, and on-site inspections— documented on-site inspections, surveillance along the armored van's routes, and confidential chats between members of the group. According to investigators, the plan was already in the execution phase. The timely intervention allowed them to halt the operation before it could materialize, avoiding an action that, given the planned methods and resources, could have jeopardized the safety of security personnel, law enforcement, and the public.

Along with the arrests, searches were carried out to find weapons, explosives, vehicles and documents attributable to the group.

At the end of the operation, the eleven recipients of precautionary measures were transferred to the competent prisons and remain at the disposal of the Judicial Authority.

(Unioneonline)

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