Italian Carabinieri arrested 19 people and filed criminal complaints against 15 others in a sweeping security operation around Rome's Termini railway station and Piazza della Repubblica, targeting pickpockets, drug dealers and illegal weapons.
Officers identified 515 people and inspected passengers on 91 buses and trams, issuing 101 traffic fines. Arrests included three Peruvian nationals accused of stealing a wallet at a bus stop, two Romanian youths who allegedly pickpocketed a Finnish tourist, and three Algerian men linked to smartphone thefts. Police also seized cocaine, hashish, crack and more than 400 grams of marijuana, along with an unmarked pistol, a kitchen knife and a baseball bat concealed in vehicles. Five urban banning orders were issued for the station area.
The operation followed strategic directives from Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini. Carabinieri Commander General Salvatore Luongo visited the scene to thank officers. Two local businesses were fined a combined total exceeding 21,000 euros for labour and hygiene violations.