Sicily police crack fraud on 98‑year‑old woman and seize large weapons cache

The Carabinieri in Calatabiano, Sicily, completed an investigation into a fraud and theft that targeted a 98‑year‑old woman. The victim was coaxed by phone into paying €3,000 for a supposed package and handing over gold jewelry. Police identified a husband‑and‑wife duo from Siracusa, aged 54 and 50, as the suspects and filed charges of aggravated extortion and theft.

In a separate operation in the Pigno district of Catania, Carabinieri seized a substantial quantity of illegal ammunition and weapon components. The seizure included AK‑47 magazines, pistol cartridges, and other calibres hidden in two locations—a bag in vegetation and a pouch under a tree near a football field. The material will undergo forensic examination by the judicial authorities.

Both actions illustrate the force’s ongoing efforts to combat fraud targeting vulnerable citizens and the illicit circulation of firearms in Sicily.