Caserta - A spectacular chase with a surprising find kept the carabinieri busy on Saturday. Five men were arrested after a fast escape in which they apparently used false police signals.
A Carabinieri patrol noticed a suspicious Audi RS SUV on Viale Carlo III. The driver was making dangerous maneuvers and overtaking recklessly in heavy traffic. When the officers signaled the car to stop, the driver stepped on the gas and sped off.
A tricky chase developed through several areas of the city. The fugitives endangered other road users considerably. To clear the way, they are even said to have used flashing blue lights and sirens similar to those of police vehicles.
The chase ended in the Capodrise area. There, the five occupants abandoned the car on Viale Europa and tried to escape on foot in the surrounding streets. However, the carabinieri had already called for reinforcements from their colleagues in San Nicola la Strada and Marcianise. In a coordinated operation, all five fugitives were tracked down and apprehended after a few minutes.
The group put up considerable resistance during their arrest. The men, aged between 20 and 47, pushed and pulled at the officers in an attempt to escape. Nevertheless, the carabinieri managed to overpower them.
Burglary arsenal in the getaway car
A search of the Audi revealed the reason for the escape. Investigators found numerous burglary tools in the vehicle, such as cut-off grinders, crowbars, screwdrivers and hammers. They also seized a fake police trowel. The license plate attached to the car was reported stolen; the original foreign license plates were inside the car.
The five men - three Italians, one Serb and one other person resident in Naples - were arrested for resisting public authority, receiving stolen goods, money laundering and possession of burglary tools. They were taken to the Santa Maria Capua Vetere prison.
