Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
Thousands of officers from Italian police headquarters, coordinated by the Central Operational Service, concluded over the past two weeks a major judicial police operation across the country targeting young people, including minors, involved—either individually or in groups—in criminal activities against people, property, and in relation to firearms or drugs.
The work of police from 106 mobile squads, supported by crews from the Crime Prevention Units and other offices of the National Police (Polizia di Stato), enabled checks on 236,138 young people, including 23,060 minors, particularly in drug-dealing areas and nightlife districts.
575 adults and 69 minors were arrested for crimes against people, property and drug-related offences; 1,695 young people were reported to the judicial authorities, including 373 minors, for handling stolen goods, possession of firearms and offensive weapons, and possession of drugs with intent to supply.
The most common offences, often posted by the perpetrators themselves on social media, included attempted murder, assault, affray, criminal damage, extortion, theft, robbery, drug dealing, illegal possession of firearms and offensive weapons.
Nationwide, 299 homes were checked, including 39 reception centres for unaccompanied foreign minors, along with 365 gaming halls, 896 commercial premises, 1,149 nightlife venues (839 squares and 310 city centres), 177 stations and 198 parks. Following the checks, 1,394 administrative penalties were issued for various offences, particularly drug use, traffic violations and breaches of public establishment regulations.
During searches, numerous stolen items were recovered, including gold necklaces, tablets, mobile phones, clothing and €269,863 in cash. Police also seized 28 firearms (handguns and long guns), 210 bladed weapons, 25 offensive weapons (6 screwdrivers, 2 baseball bats, 2 extendable batons, 2 soft-air pistols, 1 semi-automatic blank-firing pistol, 1 toy pistol, 6 pepper sprays, 2 knuckledusters, 1 box cutter, 2 balaclavas), as well as numerous explosive devices, single-shot pipe batteries, irritant spray cans, craft knives and burglary tools.
69.4 kg of cocaine, 328.44 g of heroin and 174.8 kg of cannabinoids were seized, along with smaller quantities of other drugs, including ecstasy, ketamine, amphetamines, Lyrica capsules and benzodiazepines.
During the operation in the province of Foggia, investigators—also thanks to several reports via Youpol—uncovered so-called “crack houses”, used as makeshift labs for converting cocaine into crack, selling various types of drugs and providing spaces and equipment for users to consume them.
1,115 social media profiles were monitored; for three of them, in the province of Turin, a request has already been made to take them down for violent content and displaying weapons.
In light of the recent serious incidents during demonstrations on 17, 18 and 24 October 2026 in Lombardy, checks focused on the provinces of Como, Cremona, Milan, Monza and Brianza, where there has been a particular incidence of criminal deviance linked to youth street gangs.
Through extraordinary prevention, identification and surveillance services in the most sensitive areas, the operation—conducted in cooperation with the judiciary—concluded with several personal and home searches, the identification of numerous individuals, the reporting to the judicial authorities of suspected offenders for aggravated criminal damage, affray and resisting a public official, and the issuance of specific urban Daspo bans and mandatory expulsion orders to restore legality and protect public safety. During the operation, analysis of chats and messaging groups on the mobile phones of the young people involved provided decisive evidence about the organisation and coordination of the disorders during the demonstrations.
In our province, investigators from the Syracuse mobile squad arrested two young people for kidnapping and aggravated robbery against a Syracuse businessman; issued a custody order against three individuals for criminal association aimed at drug trafficking; arrested a man in the act of dealing cocaine (who was on rollerblades); and, following a tip-off via Youpol, carried out a targeted check at a gaming hall suspected of drug dealing, which turned out to be operating without any authorisation. The check, conducted with staff from the Administrative Police Division, the canine unit, the Customs and Monopoly Agency (ADM) and the Municipal Police of the pseudo amateur sports association—found to have no authorising documentation—resulted in administrative penalties totalling €6,376 and the owner being reported to the judicial authorities for possession of drugs with intent to supply, after numerous doses of hashish were found inside the premises.
Moreover, in light of the recent serious incidents during demonstrations on 17 and 18 October 2026 in Lombardy, National Police patrols intensified checks in squares and streets—potential gathering places for youth groups prone to criminal acts. The monitoring and control activity led to the identification of a group of young people, including minors, preparing to hold an unauthorised public demonstration. Among those checked, a minor was reported to the judicial authorities for unjustified possession of offensive weapons and refusing to provide personal details.
In Francofonte, officers from the Lentini police station arrested a 23-year-old for possession of drugs with intent to supply. Following a home search, the 23-year-old was found in possession of 57.5 g of marijuana.
Overall, in Syracuse and its province, the operation resulted in the arrest of six men aged between 23 and 47, the discovery and seizure of 73 doses of drugs (60 of cocaine and 13 of hashish) totalling 170 g of cocaine and 87 g of cannabinoids, €560, packaging material, a blank-firing pistol, a balaclava and a screwdriver.
