One of the three narcotic samples analyzed by the Forensic Police tested positive for MDMB-PINACA, a synthetic cannabinoid considered highly dangerous and classified as a so-called hard drug.
This is one of the elements that emerged during the anti-drug operation conducted by the Police in the Sarule countryside , which led to the arrest of a thirty-one-year-old from the town and the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of cannabis .
The operation was carried out by officers from the Ottana Police Station last Friday during operations organized by the Nuoro Police Chief to combat drug trafficking. Upon completion of the investigation, officers found approximately 680 kilograms of cannabis and identified two crops. Among these was a plantation consisting of approximately 6,000 newly planted hemp seedlings , just a few centimeters tall. According to police reports, some of the seized narcotics was apparently treated with MDMB-PINACA.
The Department for Drug and Addiction Policies lists this substance among the synthetic cannabinoids capable of causing effects such as confusion, hallucinations, and profound sedation. A 31-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and appeared yesterday before Nuoro Court's preliminary investigations judge, Giovanni Angelicchio, for a hearing to validate his arrest. Represented by lawyers Giuseppe Putzu and Margherita Baragliu, the suspect argued that the active ingredient contained in the seized plants was found to be below the 0.6 percent threshold established by law for cannabis sativa. At the end of the hearing, investigating judge Angelicchio validated the arrest and confirmed the precautionary measure of house arrest.
The proceedings are coordinated by Public Prosecutor Sandra Maria Benedetta Picicuto.
Investigations are continuing to define all aspects of the case and determine the nature of the seized substance, the origin of the synthetic cannabinoid, and the destination of the crop found in the town's countryside.