Boat crew throws €665,000 in sealed bags into the sea off Sicily; cash washes up on crowded beach

The discovery on the sand

On the morning of Wednesday 29 July, a motorboat with three men and a child on board, all from Malta, suffered engine trouble and began drifting toward the beach at Casuzze, a popular resort in southern Sicily. Bathers alerted the coastguard, but as a patrol approached the vessel, the occupants started throwing dozens of sealed packages into the water. Waves carried the bundles onto the sand, where tourists opened them and found bundles of cash. Italian media footage showed notes of 20, 50 and 100 euros packed inside waterproof Lidl freezer bags, with roughly 20,000 euros in a single sealed pouch. Authorities recovered about 665,000 euros, though some outlets reported a sum closer to 700,000 euros.

“These people probably do not occupy a very high rank in the criminal hierarchy. And it is also a desperate gesture, manifestly.”

The boat and the arrests

According to the reconstruction by the Ragusa public prosecutor's office, the inflatable motorboat had run out of fuel and was drifting slowly toward the coast. Two of the occupants reached the shore to seek help but did not formally contact the authorities, while a third remained on board. When the coastguard approached to assist, the man still aboard began throwing the packages into the sea. Two of the occupants were later arrested by Italian police; the minor was placed in the care of social services. The boat and the cash were seized and are being examined.

The investigation

Investigators have opened a probe into the origin and intended destination of the money. Early leads reported by Rai suggest the cash may stem from criminal activity, though no official confirmation has been given. Authorities are examining possible links to illicit financial flows moving by sea, including drug trafficking, but no concrete evidence has been established. For now, the case involves possible administrative offences. The public prosecutor's office in Ragusa is treating the ownership of the cash and the reason for its transport by sea as key questions.

The setting

Casuzze beach lies in Marina di Ragusa, one of Sicily's best-known seaside destinations. The area is familiar to a wide Italian audience through the crime series "Commissario Montalbano," many scenes of which were filmed in Marina di Ragusa. The sudden appearance of cash on a crowded summer beach turned a routine coastguard call into a chaotic scene, with bathers rushing into the water to grab the packages before police and the Guardia di Finanza intervened to restore order.