Police arrested 16 people Tuesday
on charges of selling 20 empty Rome apartments, whose owners
were absent, and then 'selling' them to Latin Americans.
The gang, allegedly led by a 64-year-old grandmother with a
criminal record for drug-dealing, paid locksmiths 800 euros to
break into empty apartments belonging to private agencies.
The flat were then sold for an initial payment of 20,000
euros to Latin Americans who moved in with the belief the
apartment would eventually belong to them.
Among those arrested was a woman employee of the municipal
land register who provided information to the gang about which
apartments were empty.
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