Whodunnit grips tiny Italian island after dozens of thefts

Capraia’s three police officers hunt for culprits as 400-strong population eye each other suspiciously

Most of the robberies, of homes and shops, have taken place during the winter. Photograph: Alessandro Rota/Getty Images

Angela Giuffrida in Rome

Mon 15 Feb 2021 16.41 GMT

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Dozens of meticulously planned thefts on a remote island; all the inhabitants are potential suspects. In an investigation that would befit Agatha Christie’s sleuth, Hercule Poirot, the three police officers on Capraia, an island off Tuscany, must tread carefully as they hunt for the culprits among the population of about 400.

The island’s mayor, Marida Bessi, told the newspaper Corriere della Sera that cracks were already starting to show in the otherwise close-knit community, with friends and neighbours eyeing each other suspiciously.