Police in Monza have dismantled a drug operation that used a fake animal product company as a cover. The investigation, launched after an anonymous tip was received via the Youpol app, culminated in a raid on an apartment where authorities seized 1.3 kilograms of hashish, 1.2 kilograms of marijuana, and equipment for weighing and packaging the drugs. They also confiscated €11,400 in cash. Two men, aged 57 and 31, were arrested, and a third, 43, was reported to prosecutors.
A key element of the investigation was evidence found in WhatsApp chats on the suspects’ smartphones. The messages contained orders and payment instructions directing clients to transfer money via IBAN to a bank account registered under the bogus animal supplies company. To avoid suspicion, the drugs were sometimes hidden and delivered inside packages of cat food.