An extraordinary scene unfolded on the beach at Marina di Ragusa, a coastal resort town in southeastern Sicily, when packages containing hundreds of thousands of euros in cash ended up in the sea and were later washed ashore in front of dozens of stunned beachgoers.

According to Italian authorities, the incident began when a small speedboat carrying four people ran out of fuel a short distance from the harbour at Marina di Ragusa. Two of the passengers went ashore to buy petrol, leaving one adult man and a minor on board.

As the boat drifted towards the coast on the current, bathers who had been watching the situation alerted the coast guard, fearing the vessel was at risk of sinking.

Cash thrown into the sea

When a coast guard boat approached to offer assistance, the two people still on board the speedboat began throwing dozens of packages stuffed with banknotes into the water.

The current carried the bundles towards the beach, where bathers rushed to gather them up. Shortly afterwards, police officers, Carabinieri (Italy’s military police force) and officers from the Guardia di Finanza (Italy’s financial and customs police) arrived at the scene. They cordoned off the area, collected the money and identified people who had already taken possession of some of the banknotes.

According to Italian media, the cash was bundled into wads and included notes ranging from five to 100 euros.

🔵#Ragusa Denunciati a piede libero 3 uomini maltesi che si sono disfatti di quasi 700 mila euro, gettandoli in mare, davanti alla spiaggia di Casuzze. Rimasti senza benzina, alla vista della Guardia costiera, hanno gettato in mare i soldi. La barca è stata sequestrata. pic.twitter.com/Gya1GmmZIW

— Rai Radio1 (@Radio1Rai) July 30, 2026

Almost 700,000 euros seized

Authorities said they had seized almost 700,000 euros, though they have not ruled out the possibility that part of the sum has yet to be recovered.

The speedboat was taken to the harbour at Marina di Ragusa and impounded, and a thorough investigation by specialist units is now under way.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the case. A minor who was also on board is not believed, according to information available so far, to be related to any of the three.

The province of Ragusa, known for its tourist resorts and natural beauty, lies a short distance not only from the coast of North Africa but also from Malta. Some investigators regard the island as a hub for financial activity, where organised crime networks operating in financial services, real estate, betting and money laundering have periodically been identified.