Father and son arrested for marijuana and counterfeit money at Aci Catena bakery

Last Updated: December 11, 2023

A father and son, aged 60 and 29, who run a bakery-pizzeria in Aci Catena, were arrested by the carabinieri for hiding almost 300 grams of marijuana among the flour and pizza ingredients. The military also discovered that they had stolen electrical energy worth 110,000 euros over the past 5 years and seized counterfeit banknotes totaling 4,500 euros. They are being investigated for aggravated theft and drug trafficking. The arrest was validated, and the two were placed under house arrest. The carabinieri, along with their colleagues from the Nas in Catania, carried out the inspection at their business premises as part of an operation. Suspicions were also raised by the abnormal electricity consumption. The raid took place at 6:30 in the morning, during which one of the bakers immediately headed for the counter in an attempt to remove a large magnet. The 300 grams of drugs were hidden among the flour sacks and pizza ingredient containers. Part of it was in a hidden plastic bag inside a large flour sack, while the rest, already divided into doses, was concealed in a plastic container among the shelves containing the ingredients for pizzas and focaccias. The carabinieri also seized drug packaging materials such as empty bags and a precision scale, as well as cash. In the father and son’s home, they found 3,000 euros in cash believed to be proceeds from drug dealing, as well as 4,500 euros in counterfeit money. The Nas carabinieri also imposed a 2,000-euro fine for irregularities in the Haccp procedure.