An investigation into alleged corruption in customs controls is under way at the port of Brindisi. In early February 2026, the Procura della Repubblica presso il Tribunale di Brindisi (Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Brindisi) ordered personal and home searches against six individuals, considered suspects, under the prosecution’s working hypothesis, of offences against the Public Administration. Five of those involved are officials of the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (Customs and Monopolies Agency) working at the port, while the sixth is an external individual. The Guardia di Finanza has not released the names of those under investigation.
The measures were carried out by officers of the Nucleo di Polizia Economico Finanziaria of the Guardia di Finanza of Brindisi, acting on delegation from the competent judicial authority. The inquiry forms part of a broader and complex line of investigation launched by the Prosecutor’s Office and developed with the cooperation of the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli itself, focusing on the alleged existence of corruption linked to the conduct of customs activities.
According to investigators, some officials allegedly facilitated the entry into Italy of goods arriving from abroad in exchange for goods or other economic or material benefits. The investigations are said to have reconstructed several episodes, mainly dating back to the past year. At this stage, however, neither the countries of origin of the goods nor the types of products involved have been disclosed, also because the inquiry remains at a preliminary stage. No personal precautionary measures, such as arrests or suspensions from duty, have been imposed on those under investigation, who remain at liberty.
