Assaults on gas stations, blitz to Gipsy camp

They destroyed self-service fuel dispenser columns using as a battering ram, stolen pickup trucks or high-powered cars. They operated in a group of 6 or 8, wearing ski masks, armed with machine guns and pistols. A dangerous Gipsy band of Milan, was blocked by Task forces of Carabinieri in Varese. The criminals, who were all Italian, were specialized in destroying gas stations over half of Lombardy, during the night. They always used the same strategy: they stole a heavy vehicle in order to use it as a battering ram and a SUV to get away; then they destroyed self-service gas fuel dispenser column, loaded it on a car, often a stolen station wagon, and then divided the money. The looted 3 hundred thousand stolen euros, since the inquest has been opened.

In the video of the robbery, that took place in Landriano (Pavia) last 12 May, we can observe the strategies of the band. The gas station is attacked with a garbage truck. The truck gets stuck in the gas station so the criminals use a Porches Cayenne; they rear-end the truck several times, smash the Porsches, load the fuel dispenser column in the boot of the Suv  and finally escape.

In this audio, recorded by police, we can listen to the agitated dialogues of the criminals during the robbery. The Public Prosecution, Nadia Calcaterra, in her inquest with the police, checked on 31 cases like robbery, thefts, attempted thefts in different provinces of Lombardy: Milan, Pavia, Bergamo, Lodi and Varese. Among these, should be registered the robberies in Castellanza, Vigevano, Landriano, all gas stations of “ Total Erg” or “Q8”.

PEOPLE ARRESTED
Eight people of a Gipsy camp were arrested, among them Romeo Cudorovic, 58 years old (photo), who is the leader of the Gipsy Camp of Via Negrotto, in Quarto Oggiaro. He is the boss of the band, but also the man who the community of Italians Roma, identified as their representative in the City Council about nomads; he also took part in a permanent observatory with the Municipality of Milan.

( The Municipality of Milan specified that “ that man is not part of the associations Tavolo Rom, Sinti and Caminanti, and he has never been representative of the administration” . In the official site of the Council upreroma.it under the term “ members of the council” the man is among the names of the leader of community).

Together with him, also his two sons, Manuele Cudorovic, 34 years old and Robertino Cudorovic 29 years old, were arrested. The police also arrested Alan Spada, 30 years old, who was already fugitive, Francesco Hudorovic, 24 years old, Gianluca De Carlo, 41 years old, Ali Mahmoud Eid Abdel Halim, 38 years old, and Angelo Pepe, 33 years old. The arrest took place at dawn, in the Roma Camp, with a quick operation that included 150 policemen and that ended without any accident.

THE VEHICLES CONFISCATED
The number of vehicles recovered is huge: 9 high-powered cars, 7 tractors, 5 industrial vehicles, 5 site vehicles with a total value of 2 million euros. The use of weapons in order to escape, resulted really alarming. Last March, in Abbiategrasso, a man who wanted to fill up his car was threatened with a gun by a hooded man.

In other two occasions, in Bollate and Saronno, the criminals shouted with a tommy gun trying to demolish the fuel dispenser column. During a taping  on the investigation act, we can listen that the criminals clearly said: “ if we had met policemen tonight, it would be finished at pistol shots. Actually, the police were there, but they were near the station in order to film and gather evidence. The various contested crimes, in the arrest warrant are 18, between thefts and robberies; the most important are robbery, armed theft and illegal gun licence.