Transnational Money-Laundering Operation: Two Vicenza Men Arrested in Verona
Verona’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has led a transnational money-laundering operation resulting in the arrest of two residents of Vicenza and the seizure of 6 kilograms of gold, along with more than €1 million in cash. Authorities also seized real estate, vehicles, and bank accounts totaling about €1.3 million. The action followed a May 2025 roadside stop by the traffic police of an Austrian citizen of Turkish origin, who was found with over €660,000 in cash in a luxury car.
The investigation, coordinated by Deputy Prosecutor Rita Caccamo and Deputy Prosecutor Gennaro Ottaviano and carried out by the Guardia di Finanza, reconstructed a scheme involving weekly transfers of 24-carat gold bars to Austria, with 3–5 kg per meeting conducted along highways near the A22 toll booths or across the border. The ingots were unmarked, with only 999 purity indicated, and communications used a messaging app with auto-delete timers; invoices for fictitious operations were also identified. The individuals’ responsibility will be determined at trial, in line with the presumption of innocence under Article 27 of the Constitution.
Italian Version
