A blank-firing pistol without a red cap was seized in Serramanna during searches conducted by police across Italy targeting approximately 60 people who, according to investigators, incited violence through chat rooms and social media platforms during the recent street demonstrations. The operation targeted two young residents of the Cagliari area, aged 19 and 25, who are being investigated for apology and incitement to resist and commit violence against law enforcement, as well as for destruction and looting. One was found in Serramanna, where the modified pistol was found, and the other in Pula.
Sardinia is also involved in the operation, which involved 23 cities and resulted in the seizure of four additional fake guns, a glass breaker, blunt objects, clothing used during the riots, and eleven cell phones. The operation, conducted by the Digos (Special Operations Unit) and the Postal Police under the authority of the Judicial Authority, aimed to identify both those who participated in the riots of October 17, 18, and 24, as well as those who called for further demonstrations yesterday.
The seized material included a replica Beretta 92 Fs pellet pistol, steel pliers, a rudimentary knife, masks, and other objects used to conceal one's face. In Messina, officers found two blank-firing pistols, a glass breaker, a smoke bomb, a Mephisto pistol, a pole, and a baseball bat. They also recovered clothing that was believed to have been used during clashes, as occurred in Bergamo and Brescia. In Turin, investigators found items of clothing stolen from looted stores. In Parma, a toy pistol with blank rounds was seized. Electronic devices were also being monitored: eleven cell phones were seized as "of investigative interest." In Bologna, two smartphones containing footage of the clashes on October 24 will now be analyzed by investigators.
In Sardinia, the operation comes a day after the large demonstration that swept through Cagliari, with approximately 15,000 people marching from Piazza Garibaldi to the port. The demonstration, organized as part of the general strike called by the USB, saw the participation of students, workers, retirees, and various social groups, who took to the streets to protest rearmament and the high cost of living and to demand greater investment in healthcare and education. The demonstration passed without any tension.
(Unioneonline/D)