A vast expanse of greenhouses perfectly camouflaged among the olive groves and an acrid, unmistakable smell that led the police towards one of the largest plantations discovered in recent months in the Gioia Tauro plain. This is what emerged from the operation conducted in Rizziconi by the soldiers of the local station, supported by the Operational Section of the Gioia Tauro Company and the “Calabria” Helicopter Hunter Squadron.
During a targeted service in rural areas, the military perceived a strong odor of marijuana coming from some greenhouses apparently dedicated to floriculture. The investigative intuition was immediate: once they entered the area and started the search, they found themselves faced with a real professional cultivation.
Inside the structures, 545 Indian hemp plants were found, arranged in 24 rows and supported by a highly efficient irrigation system, a clear sign of an organization capable of guaranteeing constant production and high yield.
The plantation, in an advanced vegetative state and destined to generate a large quantity of narcotics, was seized and then destroyed upon order of the Judicial Authority.
The cultivation manager, a 29-year-old with no criminal record, was identified when – unaware of the ongoing raid – he arrived on site during the operations. He was placed under house arrest, as ordered by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Palmi.
