The Hindu : International / Globescan : Secret race course near Naples

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

International

International - Globescan

Secret race course near Naples

ROME: Cunning crooks have been known to keep all sorts of things secret, from a hidden gambling den to a covert drugs factory. But on Monday, near Naples, paramilitary carabinieri discovered something on a more ambitious scale — a clandestine racecourse with some 80 horses. The Miss Charmet race track at Marigliano was equipped with grandstands, and even a car park for punters. The entire complex had been built without planning permission. There were 200 vehicles at the course when the raid took place. A high proportion were found to belong to drivers with criminal records. Investigators said they had impounded thousands of packets of illegal stimulants, including Viagra which can apparently enhance the sporting performance of horses as effectively as the sexual prowess of ageing human males. Monday's discovery highlighted the impunity with which organised criminals can operate in large parts of southern Italy. Earlier this year, it was reported that stretches of the ring road around Palermo on Sicily were being closed off at night so illegal trotting races could be run by the mafia. The Italian anti-vivisection league, one of the country's leading animal defence charities, said illegal betting on horseraces had become a major source of income for organised crime. —

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