In Rome there is a band that loots and devastates the Chinese shops that are in the south and southwest quadrant of the city. Between Monteverde and the Mezzocammino area, several are involved in thefts or attempted robberies that took place in the last period. The police are investigating the case and at the moment it is not excluded that there is only one direction. Last May 16, in Monteverde, there was a fire in a Chinese housewares shop.
Attempted theft and fire in Monteverde
The flames that broke out in the room had suggested a short circuit. The images from the surveillance cameras, however, would tell a different story. In the video shot shortly after one in the morning, a man can be seen – in the company of an accomplice who is waiting for him in front of the shop – entering from under the shutter, getting up and looking for money in the till.
Having found nothing, the suspicious person with his face distorted by a balaclava can be seen fumbling where the lighters are. Shortly after the images are blurred by a flash and a fire breaks out in the room. According to the shop owners, the fire would have broken out due to a failed theft, a consequence for the setback suffered. The footage and the complaint was presented to the Gianicolense carabinieri.
The big shot at Mezzocammino
During the night, however, in the Mezzocammino area the thieves managed to strike. The owners of the One Store located in via Aurelio Galleppini are the victims. In the past, the place has already been the target of criminals three times in three months. “We are desperate, this is a cry of alarm. I don’t even remember how many times they stole from us in the space of 5 months. – says the owner – This time we also set up the alarm, but the thieves entered again”.
The technique used is structured. With the glass collection bell they blocked the road, then broke down the window and stole what they could. “In the evening we can no longer sleep peacefully in this area, please help me”, the appeal. And in the Chinese communities, there is a strong sense that there is a gang cleaning up their shops: “Many have suffered thefts and do not report it because nothing changes anyway”.
