Carabinieri seize 300-plant cannabis crop in Calabrian woods

Italian Carabinieri have uncovered a cannabis plantation in the southern region of Calabria, seizing around 300 plants that authorities estimate would have generated illicit proceeds exceeding 2 million euros ($2.27 million).

The plantation was found in woodland near Gioiosa Ionica. Footage released by the Carabinieri on Saturday showed officers moving among the plants, cutting them down and setting them alight.

The plants stood between 2 and 4 metres tall and, according to estimates, could have yielded more than 200,000 individual doses of cannabis destined for the illicit market.

Reaching the site was a demanding task. Officers had to trek for hours along particularly rugged paths and slopes before arriving at the plantation. Despite its isolated position, the operation was carefully organised, with sophisticated automated irrigation systems installed to keep the plants supplied with water.

The find formed part of a broader effort to locate illegal cannabis plantations hidden in the dense vegetation of Calabrian woodlands, in areas that are hard to reach and far from main transport routes. That wider operation has so far led to the discovery and destruction of more than 2,300 cannabis plants.