Dozens of carefully planned thefts have taken place on the remote Italian island of Capraia, all residents are potential suspects.
This is written by Corriere Della Sera.
Most of the robberies of homes and shops occurred in the winter when tourists were absent from the island, which is closer to Corsica than to the Italian mainland, and can only be reached by boat, weather permitting.
In the latest incident, thieves disabled a security camera in a tobacco shop before removing 60,000 euros from a safe.
The island’s mayor, Marida Bessie, said cracks were already beginning to show in the close-knit community, with friends and neighbors looking at each other suspiciously.
In November, thieves robbed the home of Deputy Mayor Fabio Mazzei and made off with a safe containing cash and jewelry. “It is very sad because there is a feeling that there is a thief in the family,” Mazzei told the newspaper. “They hit on the right day because they knew that I was going to Pisa for a visit. They knew this house very well, “ he added.
Most residents keep their money at home, as the island’s only bank closed last year.
There are only three police officers on the island who are investigating, According to Bessie, the investigation has so far yielded many theories, but no clues. “The three island police officers are very good, they do their best. But they should have more tools to investigate, otherwise, it’s really an unsolvable criminal story.”
Two-thirds of the 19-square-kilometer island was occupied by a penal colony until 1986, and even at that time, there were not so many thefts.
Now, this island is a resort, and in the summer the population increases to 4,000 people.
