"Following reports of an unauthorised horse race, accompanied by dozens of people filming the event and firing gunshots into the air, police carried out investigations in the San Cristoforo district of Catania, which led to two men aged 40 and 45 being reported to prosecutors. Officers immediately began intensive inspections of several stables in the San Cristoforo district, together with veterinarians from the regional health department, in order to identify the horses used in the race and place them in safety."
"The clip, reportedly filmed last Friday, shows two jockeys driving horse-drawn carts at breakneck speed along country roads in the town of Palagonia, near Catania, in eastern Sicily. Behind them, dozens of people follow on scooters, firing shots into the air. The footage was posted on social media by an animal rights activist named Enrico Rizzi."
"The newspaper La Sicilia reported that the horses had been seized and the stables shut down. Several people were taken to the police station for questioning and the investigation is continuing. Illegal horse racing remains widespread in Sicily, as well as in Calabria and Campania."
"Past investigations have shown that such races are often organised by mafia families linked to Cosa Nostra, the Camorra and the 'Ndrangheta. The races generate large sums of undeclared cash, with bets often reaching thousands of euros for a single event. The cities where the phenomenon is most entrenched include Catania, Messina and Palermo, where repeated police raids over the years have led to arrests, prosecutions and the seizure of illegal stables."
A video showed an unauthorised horse race in Palagonia near Catania, Sicily. Two jockeys drove horse-drawn carts at high speed along country roads while dozens of people followed on scooters and fired pistols into the air, brandishing Kalashnikov rifles. Police launched investigations after reports of the event, including the presence of people filming and shooting. Officers inspected stables in the San Cristoforo district with veterinarians to identify the horses used and place them in safety. Two men aged 40 and 45 were reported to prosecutors, and several people were questioned. Horses were seized and stables shut down, while the investigation continued. Illegal horse racing remains widespread in Sicily and other regions, often linked to mafia groups and undeclared gambling profits.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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