Operation "Purple": A marijuana production and distribution network under the guise of "light hemp" was dismantled in Partinico.

In recent days, the State Police, by delegation of Public Prosecutor's Office of Palermo, executed an order issued by the GIP of the Court of Palermo, with which the measure of the was applied house arrest for four people andresidence requirement for two more, all considered suspects of crimes relating to drug trafficking.

The operation

The operation is the result of a complex investigative activity conducted by Police Station "Partinico" between December 2023 and June 2024.
Investigators used observations, shadowing and telephone and computer interceptions, which have allowed us to identify a criminal organization dedicated to the cultivation, production, transportation, transfer and sale of drugs in the territories of Partinico, Cinisi and Trappeto.

The false screen of light hemp

It has emerged that, under the cover of a light hemp company, were actually produced cannabis plants with a high drug effect.

The investigations have documented a active and organized involvement of all six suspects, each with specific but interchangeable roles. The organization had land, machinery and agricultural skills for growing, drying and packaging marijuana.

The ruse

The suspects used a trick to evade controls: in the crops of light hemp variety “Purple”, they were hiding high THC cannabis seedlings (12% – 20%), well beyond the legal limits of the 0,2%, so with strong doping effect and destined for the illegal market.

Production

The investigations have shown that the suspects, in a systematic and repeated manner, they grew marijuana through a careful study of the production cycle. The territory of Partinico, thanks to its climate and exposure, was particularly suitable for this crop.

The numbers

During the investigated period, the following were carried out: numerous illicit cropsThe seized substance amounts to hundreds of kilograms of marijuana, For a turnover of more than half a million euros.