Italian Police Arrest 644 and Investigate Thousands in Nationwide Crackdown on Youth Crime

Italian Police Arrest 644 People in Nationwide Youth Crime Sweep

Italian law enforcement arrested 644 individuals, including 69 minors, and investigated nearly 1,700 others during a two-week nationwide operation targeting youth crime, drug trafficking, and illegal weapons. The activity, coordinated by the Central Operational Service and conducted by the 106 Mobile Squads with the support of Crime Prevention Units, checked 236,138 youths in total, of whom 23,060 were underage adults and minors. Among the total, 575 adults and 69 minors were arrested, while 1,695 youths were reported in a state of liberty, including 373 minors. The sweep also involved checks on 299 homes, including 39 reception facilities for unaccompanied foreign minors, 365 gaming halls, 896 commercial businesses, 1,149 nightlife locations—including 839 squares and 310 city centers—177 railway stations, and 198 parks, resulting in 1,394 administrative fines for drug use, highway code violations, and non-compliance with public establishment regulations. Recovered items also included gold necklaces, tablets, mobile phones, and items of clothing.

Crack Houses Uncovered in Foggia Amid Major Seizures

Investigators in the Foggia province dismantled several illicit structures known as crack houses, using tips gathered through the YouPol application. These sites operated as makeshift laboratories to convert cocaine into crack and supplied consumers with space and equipment for drug use. Police also recovered 28 firearms, 210 bladed weapons, 25 other potentially offensive objects, and 269,863 euros in cash.

Digital Monitoring and Urban Restrictive Orders

Authorities monitored 1,115 social media profiles as part of the crackdown, requesting the shutdown of three accounts in Turin due to violent content and the display of weapons. In Lombardy, where unrest occurred on October 17, 18, and 24, 2026, police focused on Como, Cremona, Milan, and Monza e Brianza to curb street-gang deviance. Investigators analyzed chat groups on seized mobile phones to trace the coordination of public disturbances, leading to urban Daspo bans and mandatory relocation orders.

Naples Arrests and Regional Enforcement

In Naples, law enforcement detained 28 people, including five minors, and filed charges against 76 others, including 36 youths under 18, according to ilgazzettinovesuviano.com. The operation in Naples also saw five prison custody orders, two house arrest orders, and six crime suspect detentions executed. The Neapolitan branch of the operation involved identifying roughly 18,000 individuals, checking over 1,300 vehicles, 91 homes, 40 commercial businesses, 23 gaming halls, and 27 nightlife spots, and seizing more than 26 kilograms of drugs alongside cash, weapons, ammunition, and vehicles. Meanwhile, in Rome, where activities also targeted nightlife hotspots from San Lorenzo to Trastevere, Ponte Milvio, Termini, and Colle Oppio, as well as demonstration areas, Mobile Squad investigators arrested 17 people in flagrante delicto—six Italians and eleven foreigners—for drug dealing.

Ongoing Investigations Trace July Riots to Pomezia

Further investigative developments connected to severe riots on July 1, 2026, in Largo Gaetana Agnesi prompted searches in Pomezia. Officers seized narcotics, stolen jewelry, nunchakus, and an air rifle during those raids. Searches for additional suspects linked to the summer disorders remain active.