Police from the investigative squad of the Sant’Agata di Militello public-security station arrested a 21-year-old living in Sant’Agata di Militello after finding him with more than 120 grams of drugs including hashish, cocaine and crack.[1][2][3] On the evening of Friday 6 November, the young man was in a car with his girlfriend near a shop a few metres from the new police station in Via Cosez and behaved suspiciously, which passing officers noticed.[1][2] Both showed clear signs of nervousness at the check, the personal search was negative, and officers then extended the check to a search of the couple’s home.[1]

In the home the 21-year-old retrieved from a wardrobe and handed police a plastic container with three small packets that proved to be 25.4 grams of hashish, a 71.3-gram stone of cocaine and a crack stone weighing more than 24 grams.[1][2][3] Officers also found three precision scales and other material in the house apparently used to make up doses.[1][2][3] Officers also found a grinder with the equipment used to make up doses.[2] The young man said the drugs were for personal use, but he was arrested in flagrante for possession of narcotics.[1]

Prosecutor Roberta Ampolo validated the search and the seizure of the drugs and ordered house arrest pending the validation hearing, while the young man appointed lawyer Rosario Di Blasi as his defence counsel.[1][2] Preliminary-investigations judge Eleonora Vona set the validation hearing for Monday 9 November.[1] The preliminary-investigations judge then ordered the 21-year-old to reside in a specified place.[2][3]