A major investigation by the Naples Prosecutor's Office has uncovered a network of police officers and private agents who are suspected of stealing and selling over a million pieces of secret information from Italian state databases, including data on famous footballers, singers, showbiz personalities and entrepreneurs.
The operation, coordinated by the renowned anti-mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, took place in Naples, Rome, Ferrara, Belluno and Bolzano. In total, 30 people are under investigation, while 29 of them have been hit with security measures: four have been arrested in prison, six under house arrest and 19 others have been placed under obligation to appear or stay.
According to the investigation, unauthorized police officers used computers and passwords to access state systems and extract confidential information that was then sold to private investigation agencies. Italian authorities say they have identified thousands of people affected by the data leak.
The head of Naples' mobile squad, Mario Grassia, said that one of the officers had made around 600,000 entries into the databases, while another had made over 130,000. The prices for each search ranged from 6 to 25 euros.
Prosecutor Gratteri stated that the information about famous people had great economic value and was used in private conflicts, illegal investigations or for business interests. Investigators have also seized a server that served to collect and distribute the stolen data.
The investigation is being conducted in coordination with the National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office and with information exchange with the Milan Prosecutor's Office in the framework of the "Equalize" case, while the Italian authorities consider the case as one of the biggest scandals in recent years regarding the abuse of state databases and illegal trade in information.
