Platì (Reggio Calabria) - The carabinieri in Calabria have struck a major blow against drug production in Aspromonte. In Platì, officers from the local station, assisted by the Cacciatori „Calabria“ special unit and the 14th Battalion, discovered an underground bunker that had been converted into a professional „indoor“ marijuana plantation.
A father and his son are suspected of running the sophisticated hideout under a barn in the middle of dense vegetation. They were reported at large. The investigators tracked down the hiding place through close observation. During a patrol in a rural area, the military noticed a power cable that was suspiciously lost among the trees.
Ingenious hiding place with electricity theft
The officers followed the cable for hundreds of meters until they reached an agricultural shed that was apparently unused. But the shed served as camouflage. A tilting panel was concealed inside, which was operated by a hidden counterweight system and gave access to the bunker.
Behind them, the carabinieri came across the plantation. The cannabis plants had already reached a height of between 70 and 110 centimeters. The bunker was equipped like a laboratory: transformers, powerful lamps and a ventilation system simulated perfect growing conditions. The energy for the illegal operation came from an equally illegal connection to the public power grid. The operation is part of a comprehensive strategy by the Locri Carabinieri company to combat drug trafficking in the difficult-to-access Aspromonte.
