He was arrested at Rome-Fiumicino airport as he was about to leave for Spain.
The thief will not get away with his loot. An Italian smoker was arrested at Rome-Fiumicino airport on his way to Spain after stealing a €500,000 prize-winning scratch card from a customer, police said on Monday, 6 September. The man had been making headlines in Italy for several days, after escaping last Thursday with the precious ticket belonging to a 70-year-old woman who went to his tobacco shop in Naples to confirm his victory.
According to investigators, after the package, the merchant went to the city of Latina, between Naples and Rome, in order to deposit the winning ticket in a bank and be able to withdraw it later, when things calmed down.
The smoker was detained by border police at Rome airport, with an air ticket to the Canaries. He then tried to turn the case in his favor, saying he wanted to file a complaint against a woman who accused him of stealing slushies, a statement said. However, the prosecution did not follow him and opened an investigation for aggravated theft, while his tobacco license was suspended. The court also ordered the seizure of the game card.