The Milan Prosecutor's Office has ordered the detention of officer Carmelo Cinturrino, charging him with murder with direct intent. Investigators gathered evidence indicating that the police officer shot fleeing drug dealer Abderrahim Mansouri, and then staged the crime scene by planting a blank-firing weapon. The case has caused a political earthquake, forcing League leader Matteo Salvini to abruptly change his narrative and distance himself from the accused officer, whom he called a "rotten apple".

Officer Detained

Carmelo Cinturrino has been temporarily arrested on charges of murder with direct intent.

Crime Scene Staging

The Prosecutor's Office proved that the police officer planted a weapon near the victim's body to justify self-defense.

Government Narrative Shift

Matteo Salvini distanced himself from the suspect, calling him a rotten apple and a disgrace to the uniform.

Cover-up Investigation

Investigators are examining the role of the four other police officers present during the tragic intervention.

Events in Milan's Rogoredo district, known for having the highest number of drug dealing spots in northern Italy, took a dramatic turn. The Prosecutor's Office, after meticulously securing evidence including analysis of billing records and testimony from a key witness, decided to arrest Carmelo Cinturrino. Direct intent for the murder is based on findings that Mansouri was shot in the back while fleeing, and the weapon found near his body was planted there by the police officer after the shot was fired. Investigators are also examining a thread of systemic corruption, within which the officer allegedly collected protection money from local dealers in exchange for warnings about police raids. The Rogoredo district has been the center of heroin trade in Milan since the 1990s. The term "boschetto della droga" (drug grove) has become synonymous throughout Italy with social degradation and the impunity of criminal groups operating on the outskirts of the metropolis.The political storm surrounding the case forced Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini to radically change his stance. The politician, who initially defended the officer on social media, calling the investigation "disgusting," now speaks of "oltraggio alla divisa" (insult to the uniform). Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi declared the ministry's full cooperation with the judiciary. The Prosecutor's Office emphasizes that Mansouri might have had a chance to survive if help had been called immediately, but the officer delayed calling emergency services for over 20 minutes, spending that time planting evidence. The four other officers involved in the intervention are under investigation for possible cover-up. 1 godzina — Mansouri lived for an hour after being shot before dying without assistance„Mela marcia. Sempre rispetto per forze dell'ordine, ma chi sbaglia in divisa paga il doppio.” (Rotten apple. Always respect for law enforcement, but those who make mistakes in uniform pay double.) — Matteo Salvini The charges against Cinturrino go beyond the murder itself. The Prosecutor's Office is reconstructing the so-called "Cinturrino system," encompassing threats, beatings, and drug extortion. Opposition politicians from the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement accused the government of instrumentalizing the tragedy and demanded an apology for earlier defense of the officer, who has become a symbol of pathology within the uniformed services.

Mentioned People

  • Carmelo Cinturrino — Police officer arrested on charges of murdering a drug dealer in Rogoredo.
  • Abderrahim Mansouri — Fatal victim of the police intervention, a Moroccan refugee.
  • Matteo Salvini — Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and leader of the League party, who initially defended the police officer.
  • Matteo Piantedosi — Minister of the Interior of Italy.