The Guardia di Finanza of Cosenza concluded a service operation in the specific sector of combating poaching which allowed the discovery, and subsequent seizure, of a large quantity of juvenile sardines, illicitly transported by an Italian citizen from nearby Puglia, and headed to Sicily.
The dynamics of control in Montegiordano
The operation was carried out during the evening hours, during which the illicit transport of juveniles is easier, given the poor visibility. The financiers of the Montegiordano Tenenza, engaged in carrying out road checkpoints on the SS/106, in the territory of the municipality of Montegiordano, stopped a vehicle in order to carry out more accurate checks.
The discovery of the illicit cargo and the sanctions
In fact, after stopping the driver of the vehicle and opening the rear compartment, they were able to see that he was illicitly transporting numerous polystyrene crates containing a total of around 250 kilos of juvenile pilchard. The service operation ended with the administrative seizure of the product and the notification of the fine to the person responsible.
Risks to the ecosystem and public health
The activity is part of a broader plan of economic-financial police services aimed at preventing illicit profits resulting from illegal trading and environmental damage to public health. In fact, in addition to causing potential damage to the marine habitat due to failure to reproduce, the illicit activity can also constitute a serious health hazard, since the product is released for consumption in the absence of any health checks.
The role of the Financial Police in the territory
The result achieved highlights the role that the Guardia di Finanza, with its institutional peculiarities as an economic-financial police force with a high social vocation, has assumed in the control of the territory, in the protection of public order and safety and in environmental and consumer protection.