Milan railway police arrest three following station thefts

Police in Milan have conducted operations to combat theft and vandalism within the city's railway network. Recent arrests by the Polizia Ferroviaria occurred at Milano Centrale and Milano Bovisa stations.

At Milano Centrale, undercover officers arrested two men following the theft of a suitcase from a high-speed train bound for Lecce. The stolen items were recovered and returned to the 26-year-old owner. The suspects, a 33-year-old Algerian national and a 29-year-old Tunisian national, face charges of aggravated theft.

At Milano Bovisa, a 23-year-old Algerian man was arrested for stealing a backpack from a passenger on a regional train from Malpensa airport. The victim pursued the suspects, and with the assistance of a security guard, one individual was detained while an accomplice fled, abandoning part of the stolen goods.

Beyond individual thefts, the Milanese railway hubs face systemic issues including organized theft of train tickets and the destruction of automatic ticket machines. Criminal activities range from opportunistic pickpocketing targeting tourists and commuters to large-scale operations where machines are broken into to steal cash and blank ticket stock for resale on the black market.