
A gang of Albanian ' hawks ' has been dismantled by Italian police, as they had become the 'terror' of Turin residents and are suspected of being responsible for at least 68 robberies with damage amounting to hundreds of thousands of euros.
The serial robberies, often with the use of violence, had begun in earnest since January 2024 and were so disturbing that they led to protests by residents in the city's hills.
The police announce that after intensive investigations, they have identified 8 people who were part of the organization, all Albanians, most of whom are in prison for other crimes.
The investigations were conducted by Chieri's company, and there is talk of a well-organized group that not only robbed, but also sold goods and sent the profits all the way to Albania.
The raids were particularly evident in the areas of Pino, Baldissero, Pecetto and Chieri, mainly in luxury or isolated villas.
Usually two people did the shooting, a third guarded and another acted as the driver.
Dressed in dark clothes, but often covering their faces with white hats.
Cameras have filmed many of the robberies in the area, based on which and the clues, many of them were solved after a year of investigations.
The investigations began after the arrest of one of the Albanians who was the group's guard, which later led to the disbandment of the organization, while other arrests were made in March.
During the actions, a police officer was also injured, most of the 'hawks' were able to escape through the forests during the pursuit.
But the numerous traces found, mainly biological, led to their recent identification after comparing DNA analyses.
At this point, the second part of the operation begins. One of the Albanians implicated is identified, kept under constant surveillance and followed at a distance.
The calls identified the group of 8 people and led to the unraveling of many other events, Italian media reports .
The group's scheme was well-conceived and well-planned. The meeting place was at 5 pm near the houses. From there they set off for the thefts in the hills of Turin: from Pino to Baldissero, Pecetto, Revigliasco, Moncalieri to San Mauro and Settimo.
They would commit up to 5 or 6 robberies in one evening.
A driver would take the two people responsible for the theft to the chosen area: generally slightly isolated groups of houses with surrounding forests.
Then he would return to the city to avoid leaving the car in the area.
Only 3 arrests were made last year, the other 5 were made recently from wiretaps and cell phone chases.
The prosecution called it a laborious investigation, but one that ultimately led to success.
Work is now underway to discover whether the group has participated in more robberies, including in other areas.