Return turbulent for the blue swimmers Benedetta Pilate and Chiara Tarantino, veterans from the Singapore swimming World Cup. Before boarding towards Italy, the two athletes were stopped by the local police after the surveillance cameras would have filmed the Tarantino while putting some objects stolen inside the friend’s bag.
The two Apulians have been retained for hours, deprived of the passport and subjected to interrogation on charges of theft. Alerted the Italian Embassy and Farnesina, the case was resolved thanks to the intervention of the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. After the explanations and apologies, the athletes obtained a special permit for the return, with the only warning not to reiterate the episode.
Together with them there were also teammates Anita Bottazzo and Sofia Morini, also questioned and blocked until the clarification of the story. The four were then able to return to Italy.