Sicily boat incident yields €665,000 cash drop recovered by police

A small motorboat traveling from Malta suffered a mechanical failure off the coast of Casuzze, near Santa Croce Camerina in the Ragusa province of southern Sicily. Three Maltese passengers were aboard; one remained on the vessel while the others abandoned ship.

During the coast‑guard intervention, the remaining occupant threw sealed waterproof bags containing cash into the sea. Swimmers on the beach gathered the floating packages, which were later recovered by Italian authorities. The bags held roughly €665,000 in banknotes, with estimates ranging between €580,000 and €700,000.

Police seized the money and the boat, identified two of the three Maltese men, and placed the third under investigation. The investigation focuses on the origin of the funds and possible money‑laundering activity, but no definitive criminal charge has been announced yet.