ROME – Neapolitan Tiktoker Antonio ‘Papusciello’ Gemignani, who boasts 150,000 followers, was one of 51 people given a cautionary measure warning that he is under investigation for drug offenses, in new law from under-fire justice minister Carlo Nordio. 

 The reform from Nordio introduced a type of ‘preventive interrogation’ for this kind of crime and has created a situation in which those who are under investigation are then able to evade justice before charges are made, leading to some suspects being ‘untraceable’, according to Fatto Quotidiano.  15 were arrested immediately, 17 were placed under house arrested and 19 were obligated to stay put but as can be seen from the Tiktoks of ‘Papusciello’, those who were required to stay put may not necessarily do so. 

 Gemignani can be seen in videos sipping cocktails from a resort in Spain on holiday, enjoying his time abroad, while at home he is under investigation for drug offences. 

 The 353 pages of the precautionary order tell the story of the world of drug dealing that arrived via couriers from Naples and Rome, and then sold through dealers in the territories. The prosecutor of Torre Annunziata, Nunzio Fragliasso alleged that the turnover was around 8 million euros and half a million euros in cash was seized during the investigations. 

 A more shocking aspect of the investigation found that drugs were transported also by the elderly and those with no criminal record who made their homes available to druglords. Some had even been known to use both children and newborns to evade police checks. The carabinieri had even filmed a woman, who was dealing drugs, while cradling a newborn baby in her arms, according to prosecutors.

 Among one of the suspects is also a priest, though he is accused only of forgery, not drug trafficking. The suspect was the priest of a local church in Torre Annunziata and is said to have ‘covered’ the probation of a suspect, certifying that he had correctly carried out the volunteer activities in the parish, a recovery program established which was for two days a week, two hours a day.

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