A 30-year-old Egyptian and a 32-year-old Bangladeshi have been under house arrest since August 5, while a 58-year-old Italian has been ordered to report to the judicial police. All three have been detained under a precautionary measure issued by the investigating judge of the Umbrian capital.

An additional 25 people have been investigated without custody.

The operation involved the Terni mobile squad and the Central Operational Service of the police, with support from around 100 officers from Rome, Perugia, Siena and several other cities in the region.

Suspicious activities regarding change of residence

The investigation began in 2022 following a report to the Terni Public Prosecutor's Office regarding frequent and suspicious requests for changes of residence by foreigners, primarily from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iraq, in certain apartments in the city center.

During the investigation, an Egyptian businessperson emerged as a key figure, suspected of organizing these activities. According to the Perugia Prosecutor's Office, he allegedly enabled various non-EU citizens, mostly Egyptians, to obtain or renew residency permits by arranging fictitious rental agreements that were used to request residency.

These contracts were registered with the Revenue Agency by an Italian operative, who owned a real estate agency, along with forged documents related to their economic status.

The investigation led police to suspect that a criminal organization was active in the province of Terni, centered around the Egyptian suspect who made and received approximately 800 phone calls per day.

He was allegedly able to procure the necessary documents for obtaining residency permits, their renewal, conversion into long-term permits, or family reunification with relatives residing abroad.