Father and son charged with sophisticated underground bunker with indoor marijuana greenhouse

Carabinieri in Reggio Calabria seize a marijuana plantation

PLATÍ – A bunker with an indoor marijuana grow has been discovered: a father and son have been reported by the Carabinieri. The ingenious hideout was powered by an illegal connection to the electrical grid. An underground bunker, hidden beneath a stable amidst the dense Aspromonte vegetation, transformed into an indoor marijuana greenhouse: this is what the Carabinieri of the Platì station, along with members of the Calabria Hunting Helicopter Squadron and the 14th Calabria Battalion, discovered during an extraordinary territorial patrol aimed at combating drug production. The father and son, both reported at large, are believed to have created a veritable underground laboratory for cannabis cultivation. The operation was launched after careful observation: during a patrol of a rural area, the officers noticed an electrical cable disappearing among the trees—an anomalous detail that immediately aroused suspicion.

A marijuana plantation was found with plants between 70 and 110 centimetres tall.

Following its path for hundreds of meters, the Carabinieri reached the entrance to a seemingly abandoned agricultural shed, but inside lay something else entirely. Pushing a swinging panel, operated by a hidden counterweight system, opened the door to a veritable underground bunker. Inside, the officers discovered a marijuana plantation with plants between 70 and 110 centimeters tall, lit and ventilated by a complex electrical and ventilation system powered by an illegal connection to the public grid. Everything had been carefully planned down to the smallest detail to ensure the plants' undisturbed growth, away from prying eyes. The entire structure, built illegally, represented a sophisticated example of illegal cultivation, complete with transformers, fans, and lamps to simulate the ideal conditions of a professional greenhouse.

Knowledge of the territory and experience of the military are a fundamental bulwark against illegality

The operation is part of a broader anti-drug trafficking strategy carried out by the Carabinieri of the Locri company, who are constantly monitoring the most inaccessible areas of the Aspromonte, where their knowledge of the territory and operational experience remain a crucial bulwark against illegality. The individuals involved are presumed innocent until a final conviction, in full respect of the rights of the suspect and the guarantees provided by Italian law.