Drug dealing
Extreme blow to the phenomenon of clandestine drug and weapons trafficking by the Carabinieri of the Investigative Unit of Catania who arrested two pushers with 450 grams of marijuana, 30 grams of hashish and 5 grams of cocaine, with a retail value of over 10 thousand euros and a pistol with serial number worn off and ready to fire.
As part of the strengthening of the territorial control services arranged by the Provincial Command of Catania over the entire Etna capital, also aimed at the prevention and repression of crimes related to drugs, the main source of supply for organized crime, the Carabinieri of Catania have led to successfully completed a targeted service aimed at combating drug dealing in the populous “Fortino” neighborhood, at the end of which they arrested a 32-year-old from Catania and his 19-year-old nephew for possession for the purposes of dealing and illegal possession of clandestine weapons and ammunition.
In particular, as part of a delicate investigative activity, the carabinieri discovered how uncle and nephew had set up a thriving drug trade, using a house on the ground floor of the “Fortino” neighborhood as a logistical base for the storage of drugs. two-room apartment officially used as a kiosk warehouse, from which they left to make deliveries to their “customers”.
Having clarified, in this way, all the details relating to the investigative hypothesis, the soldiers of the Carabinieri decided to start a series of remote observation services and in “discreet mode”, camouflaging themselves among the people of the neighborhood, along the streets that they lead towards the property in question, located in a courtyard without secondary exits.
Indeed, the patient wait of the carabinieri, stationed in a secluded position, confirmed the investigative framework previously outlined by them, since after a few hours, the investigators saw the 32-year-old leaving the warehouse driving a black SH150 scooter, which was immediately stopped by the soldiers of the Investigative Unit. The man was immediately searched and investigators found some doses of marijuana in his trouser pocket and a precision scale hidden inside a bag from a well-known fashion brand.
Meanwhile, his nephew had also left the monitored warehouse and, evidently noticing the presence of the Carabinieri, tried to escape, but was unable to do so as another group of soldiers was continuing to monitor the target. The latter, in fact, realized that the 19-year-old, before attempting to escape, had hidden some keys in a ravine in the external wall of the building, which were immediately recovered.
Meanwhile, before accessing the warehouse, the police searched the young man, on whom, as with his uncle, some doses of drugs were found kept in his trouser pocket. In this case, the narcotic found was hashish stored inside a plastic ovule bearing the words “Professional”.
At that point, the carabinieri had access to the two-room apartment together with the two pushers, where they found the first of the two rooms littered with boxes, which were sifted through, and inside one, the investigators found a semi-automatic pistol 7.65 with serial number abraded and magazine inserted containing three shots, 50 grams of marijuana, 30 grams of hashish and 5 grams of cocaine all divided into doses, several plastic and silver paper sachets for packaging the drugs and three precision scales perfectly functioning.
Furthermore, inside another box, the soldiers found a backpack, inside which they found 400 grams of marijuana, divided into plastic ovules bearing the same writing “Professional”, reported on the ovule found in the trouser pocket of the 19 year old.
All the drugs were seized, together with the gun which was sent to the Weapon’s Scientific Investigations Department to be subjected to investigations in order to clarify the original serial number and whether it had been involved in incidents of fire. The two criminals were placed at the disposal of the judicial authority, which ordered home detention for the 19-year-old and precautionary custody in prison for the 32-year-old.
