ROME – Police have made 18 arrests in an investigation into a bribery and protection racket that forced Bangladeshi street venders to pay half their Coronavirus bonuses in exchange for the best street positions to sell their wares to tourists in the Eternal city, Italian media reported.

 Among those arrested are public officials, entrepreneurs and trade unionists, eight of whom are in prison and 10 under house arrest.

 Alberto Belluci is the first Capitoline official to be imprisoned in the Roman street trade scandal. ‘Trade unionists’ Dino and Mario Tredicine have also been arrested: the former jailed, the latter confined to his residence.

 Dubbed operation “Monsoon” the investigation uncovered corruption and extortion that employed stand-over tactics to threaten merchants unwilling to co-operate. Those who paid protection money to place their business in prime vendor positions received immunity from other offenses.

 Bangladeshi merchant Mohammad Yousuf Hawlader, who reportedly blew the whistle on the racket, has paid up to 4,000 euros a month for the privilege of gaining the best sales vantage point, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.

 But a decline in revenue in recent months due to the COVID-19 lockdown, meant venders were forced to ‘donate’ half their 600 euro Italian Social Security (INPS) Coronavirus lockdown bonus.

 In all, there were 240 stalls managed illegally, yielding a six figure sum.

 This figure would be shared between three tiers of the criminal organization, according to investigators.

 The first level involves public officials (Alberto Bellucci and his right-hand man Fabio Magozzi); the second, union representatives and, the third, includes the traders themselves, some of whom acted as “debt collects” on behalf of the trade unionists.

 cc