Authorities in Pisa, Italy, arrested a 28-year-old university student for growing and distributing marijuana. The police stopped him around 9pm and searched his possessions. According to the police, the young man had difficulty concealing his nervousness. The police would not have looked into him any further if he had acted normal. He was otherwise above any particular suspicion, they said.
But after noticing his nervousness around the officers, the police reportedly requested his information for the purpose of a background check. The police found that the 28-year-old had previously caught the attention of law enforcement for suspected drug distribution. Although the date of his previous law enforcement encounter was not disclosed, the report indicated that the activity had occurred years prior to the March 2018 incident. The information regarding his history of suspected involvement in drug distribution led to his most recent downfall.
After learning of the 28-year-old’s past, Italian police decided they had cause to search the man. They searched him and found two envelopes hidden underneath his clothing. The envelopes contained a total of 40 grams of marijuana. But the search did not end at the university student’s person. Police suspected that he likely had more marijuana hidden at his house. They located his Porta a Lucca residence and performed a thorough search and crime scene reconstruction.
They found drawers filled with marijuana, compartments in the fridge containing marijuana, and numerous jars containing marijuana and other drugs. They found ketamine and other so-called ‘synthetic’ drugs. They also found marijuana seeds and thousands of euros. Most importantly, the police pointed out, the suspect had turned one of the rooms in his house into “a real greenhouse.” The room had expensive ventilation equipment, an induction fan, and a special fertilizer. Police said evidence indicated he had purchased some of the items in his house on the darknet. They also said the marijuana was much higher quality than marijuana sold on the street.
Investigators are currently recreating the environment the suspect had allegedly used to grow marijuana. The prosecutor explained that the ventilation equipment was used to grow marijuana in the winter months. After he had successfully completed a harvest, he allegedly packed up the equipment used in his grow operation. He then sealed the product in airtight containers “to avoid the dispersion of the fragrance as well as the propagation of suspicious odors.” The prosecutor said the marijuana needed to be in the containers to prevent the neighbors from smelling the potent product (as if they would not smell the active grow operation).
Investigators are actively studying the suspect’s operation. The marijuana is also being subjected to quality and potency tests. In the meantime, the prosecutor ordered a temporary incarceration for the suspect. He will remain in custody until his court appearance.