Sassari The maxi operation by the Nas carabinieri of Sassari – with searches and arrests – began at dawn yesterday. The military showed up with search warrants from the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the homes of 24 suspects, all linked in some way to the world of city gyms, and two of them were placed under house arrest. These are the personal trainer Fabrizio Piroddu, 45 years old from Sassari and Mirko Pinna, 44 years old from Sassari. Among those under investigation there would also be a policeman, a frequenter of a body building gym.
During the house searches, anabolic drugs were seized and the suspects are accused of having passed them off in city gyms. Yesterday morning the Nas carabinieri showed up at Spartan Fitness and Ludus, both in Predda Niedda. Searches were also carried out in the gyms but with negative results. But the investigation by the Sassari Prosecutor’s Office, coordinated by the deputy prosecutor Ermanno Cattaneo, is only just beginning. Among those under investigation, a certain name is that of Francesco Moretti, a 52-year-old from Sassari, owner of the Ludus gym, which is located on the top floor of the La Piazzetta shopping centre. The instructor confirms the raid and claims: «I can only say – he explains – that they came to us looking for drugs and anabolics, but naturally they didn’t find any because those substances are banned from us. The police searched both the gym and my home, but having nothing to hide I didn’t think it was appropriate to call my lawyer, with whom I will certainly speak in the next few days. In my house – concludes Francesco Moretti – the carabinieri seized some drugs that had been regularly prescribed to me by my doctor this summer when I had excruciating pain before surgery – he adds – but clearly we will produce the adequate justifications, having delivered the prescriptions in pharmacy for collecting medicines. But they are certainly not anabolic, which have never entered my home and my gym.”
During the searches, the men from the anti-adulteration and health unit inspected every corner. The two arrested, assisted by lawyers Luigi Conti and Lorenzo Galisai, will be tried directly in court this morning. Also today, further details on the investigation will be released by the Carabinieri, upon authorization from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Piroddu, who is a nurse and works in a hospital, had already been arrested on the same charges in 2021. While just two weeks ago Mirko Pinna had agreed to a three-year and eight-month prison sentence for having set up a drug super market in interior of his car wash in via Padre Zirano. A year ago the police seized a kilo of cocaine, 48 grams of heroin, 400 grams of hashish and 329 grams of marijuana. And then cutting substance, precision scales, material for packaging the doses and 4830 euros in small denomination banknotes.
