Emilia-Romagna police crackdown sees scooter‑gang arrests and surge in theft, robbery and elder‑scam cases

The State Police in Reggio Emilia arrested three Egyptian men, aged 19 to 21, after they carried out eight robberies between April and May 2026. The suspects used an electric scooter to approach victims, primarily targeting women from Eastern Europe and an Asian man, stealing gold necklaces and using pepper spray when resisted. The raids, coordinated by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Mobile Squad, revealed a structured division of tasks among the gang members.

Separately, the Carabinieri in the Emilia‑Romagna region reported a sharp rise in overall criminal activity over the past year. Reported thefts increased by 22% to 4,608 cases with 728 arrests, while robberies rose 28% to 741 reports and 344 arrests. Scams targeting the elderly jumped 38% to 787 reports, resulting in 65 arrests, an 80% increase. Domestic‑violence “red‑code” incidents grew 20% to 3,969. Youth deviance also rose, with minors arrested climbing from 90 to 140. Police seized more than 500 kg of narcotics, issued 764 preventive measures, and conducted 961 school outreach events reaching over 42,000 students. In the same period, 280 Carabinieri were injured in service.