The largest marijuana plantation of the last ten years . The carabinieri discovered it in the “Sas Serradinas” area, along the Buddusò-Osidda route.
In a very vast and difficult to navigate area of countryside, among waterways and ancient cork oak groves, rocky ravines, fields of cistus and mastic trees, hidden among the thick vegetation, the military found five different plots of land entirely occupied by plantations of hemp .
Plants as far as the eye can see for several hundred metres , all already around 2 meters tall and flowering, with the inflorescences in an excellent state of maturation.
A painstaking organization. The land was protected by electrified fences to deter wild animals and stray livestock, an ingenious drip irrigation system had been connected to a pressurized hydraulic exchanger for fertilizing the water and was governed by a remotely controlled control unit for the activation of the solenoid valves, illegally connected to the Abbanoa pipeline .
The numbers give an idea of the massive operation, which began last October 11th and lasted two days: 8,520 plants uprooted, 9,000 meters of pipes seized, as well as 2,500 meters of metal wire for electrified fences . And again, hundreds of insulators and iron posts, a wi-fi-bluetooth control unit and other equipment. Hidden among the rocks, 37 bags were also found with over 38 kilos in total of already dried inflorescences .
Over 40 soldiers from the Carabinieri stations of Buddusò, Alà dei Sardi, Pattada, Ozieri, Nughedu San Nicolò, Ittireddu, Oschiri and Ozieri were used for the operation, assisted by two teams of the Cacciatori di Sardegna and a special transport vehicle of the IX "Sardinia" Carabinieri Battalion of Cagliari, essential for reaching an area that is very difficult to navigate even with an off-road vehicle.
Another major operation was concluded on 14 October on the border between Mores and Ardara . On a farm in the "Tola" area, the carabinieri from the Ardara station, supported by colleagues from the Operational and Radiomobile Unit of Ozieri and from the Ittireddu, Buddusò and Mores stations, surprised nine people intent on harvesting and budding a plantation. 2,340 plants, almost 1,300 kilos of inflorescences already packaged (the THC level was found to be higher than the legal limits), two generators, five industrial fans for drying and thousands of meters of pipes were seized. A huge fine of 17,600 euros was also issued for illegal workers (all those present), with the simultaneous immediate suspension of all activities.
In recent months, controls have been strengthened in the Monte Acuto area, and particular attention has been paid to the Buddusò plateau. Observations with helicopters, collection of information, months of investigations before starting the raids .
Also in Buddusò, in the “Sa Zura” area, last September 11th a raid led to the discovery and seizure of over a thousand hemp plants.
All operations which confirm the data contained in the annual report to Parliament on drug addiction. Sardinia is the marijuana region, the one with the greatest production capacity. The island's orographic and climatic conditions are favorable for large-scale outdoor production, which increases impressively from year to year.
And the business is tempting. Even if we stop at just the maxi seizure of Buddusò , the potential revenues are mind-boggling: sold wholesale, the marijuana would have brought in between 10 and over 24 million euros, at retail the proceeds would have reached close to the figure of 50 million .
(Unioneonline/L)