Gravina – The Carabinieri have arrested five people on the order of the preliminary investigations judge at the Court of Bari. In ongoing criminal proceedings, they are accused of offences including kidnapping for extortion, aggravated assault, aggravated extortion, robbery and possession of drugs for sale.
Two of the alleged perpetrators were remanded in custody, while the other three were placed under house arrest. The investigation began after a complaint by a young man living in an educational facility in the Murgia area.
Background to the brutal offences
According to the evidence gathered by investigators, the series of violent acts stemmed from an unpaid debt of around 300 euros for the purchase of cannabinoids. The failure to pay triggered an escalation of violence, death threats and intimidation that continued for several months, from February to August 2026.
The alleged incidents include numerous threats against the victim by telephone and electronic communications, some threatening the use of firearms. In May 2026, a robbery took place in which the young man's smartphone was snatched, with a warning that it would only be returned after the debt was paid.
Two separate instances of kidnapping for extortion are also alleged: the first occurred in April 2026, when the young man was forced into a car and beaten in a remote rural area. In the second incident, in July 2026, the victim was lured into a public venue on a pretext, beaten there, taken to a wooded area and assaulted by a group.
It was also documented that one of the educational facility's staff members paid part of the debt to end the harassment and recover the mobile phone. The accused are presumed innocent.
