A steel cage hidden among the dense vegetation and, inside, an illegally trapped specimen of marten. This is the scenario discovered in the woods of Santa Lucia del Mela by some hikers, whose report triggered investigations by the metropolitan police, culminating in the criminal seizure of the device.
The discovery took place along the impervious mountain path that goes up from the stream towards Pizzo Babaschi and Rocca Timpogna. Having noticed the metal structure hidden in the bushes, private citizens approached and noticed the small mammal stuck inside. Having found that the animal had no visible wounds, the group opened the cage, allowing it to regain freedom in the Mediterranean scrub, at the same time alerting the police.
Immediately after the incident, a report was made to the Messina police station. The agents, coordinated by the commander, Colonel Domenico Martino, started immediate official investigations through the Judicial Section and the Wildlife and Hunting Division. The checks confirmed that the trap was in no way included among the means authorized by the Regional Department of Agriculture and Forestry for the feral pig containment plan, active in the area in relation to the swine fever emergency.
Having established the illicit nature of the artefact, the police set up a surveillance service in the area to intercept those responsible, but prolonged observation did not lead to significant developments. To avoid injuring other wild specimens, the operators therefore carried out the preventive seizure of the body of the crime.
The contested violations, relating to the protection of fauna, present the aggravating circumstance of the crime committed during a period of total closure of the hunting season. The file was sent to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto for validation of the report.
The deputy metropolitan mayor, Flavio Santoro, spoke on the case: “This intervention highlights the effectiveness of territorial control when supported by the collaboration of citizens. The prompt reporting and subsequent intervention of the Metropolitan Police prevented an environmental crime from taking place in a valuable area. The Administration continues its action to combat poaching and monitor the protection of protected fauna, rigorously applying the regulations in force in the mountain areas of our province”.
