He lent money to a shopkeeper at an interest rate of 50% monthly, 600% a year: he is a man accused of usury, discovered following an investigation by the Turin police squad, so the agents have recently executed a precautionary custody order in prison.
The preventive seizure of human assets was also carried out, consisting of around 66,000 euros and two watches which together are worth around 150,000 euros.
The investigation had started from two attempted fires in a shop: flammable liquid had been found on the shutter, which however had not caught fire. The owner had not reported any threats, although he admitted economic difficulties during the pandemic.
It was not possible to understand who had attempted the fires, but the agents arrived at an Italian man who lent money at usurious interest to people in financial difficulty. Hence the connection to the loans to the shopkeeper in question and the discovery that a similar mechanism was implemented by the alleged usurer with two other Turin shopkeepers.
(Unioneonline/lf)