Organized thefts target farms and equipment in Sicily's Catania plain

Confagricoltura Catania has reported a sharp rise in thefts across the Piana di Catania, affecting municipalities such as Paternò, Belpasso, Ramacca, Motta Sant’Anastasia, Castel di Judica, Raddusa and Catania. Criminal groups are stealing not only crops but also tractors, machinery and other essential tools, often working in coordinated teams, covering their faces and wearing gloves to avoid detection.

Some incidents were caught on security cameras and are now being examined by the Carabinieri of the Paternò company. In Ramacca, a farm employee was assaulted while trying to stop a theft. Confagricoltura’s president, Giosuè Arcoria, warned that farmers feel “disheartened and frightened,” and the association has written to Prefect Pietro Signoriello requesting stronger police action and support for the agricultural community.