Over 1,300 Indian hemp plants, up to two and a half meters high and ready for the collection, were seized in recent days by the Finance Guard of Catanzaro. The operation, conducted by the group of yellow flames in close collaboration with the Aerial Section of Lamezia Terme and with the Alpine Rescue station of the Guardia di Finanza of Cosenza, led to the discovery of vast plantations hidden in the countryside of the municipalities of Tiriolo and Settingian.
The crops, well concealed between brambles and dense vegetation and made with the “leopard spot” technique on small terraces, were equipped with sophisticated irrigation systems and monitored through photos. The inflorescences, in perfect state of maturation, would have yielded an illegal gain estimated at around 3 million euros on the local shop.
The reconnaissance, sampling and seizure activities, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor of Catanzaro, now continue with investigations aimed at identifying the managers of the plantations.