It was a busy morning on November 23rd in Paola, where a routine check by the police led to the seizure of over 13 kilograms of marijuana already packaged and ready for dealing. The operation, conducted by the Operational Unit of the Paola Company with the support of the soldiers of the Fuscaldo Station, represents one of the most significant seizures of recent months on the Tyrrhenian Sea of Cosenza.
It all began around 11.30 in the covered car parks of a well-known hard discount store, where a patrol stopped a Lancia Ypsilon with a thirty-year-old on board, already known to the police, together with a young passenger. The personal and vehicle searches did not reveal any useful elements, but the nervous attitude of the driver and the persistent – and partly hidden – use of the mobile phone aroused the suspicion of the military, who decided to investigate the situation further.
Thus the next phase of the operation began: while other crews reached the control point, a team was sent to the man’s home, located in a public housing complex in Fuscaldo, fearing that an attempt might be underway to get rid of any narcotic substance.
When the police arrived, a woman tried to block access to the house, but was unable to do so. When the suspect also arrived on site, the house search began. It was precisely at this juncture that the man, visibly annoyed, handed over a voluminous bag containing dozens of heat-sealed cellophane wrappers. Inside, marijuana already sorted and ready for sale. “Here it is, thirteen kilos,” he declared, showing one of the packages.
The seizure represents a serious blow to drug trafficking in the area, the result of a rapid, coordinated and professionally conducted intervention by the Carabinieri of the Compagnia di Paola. Investigations continue to reconstruct any supply channels and destinations of the narcotic.