Montalcino winery workers arrested in drugs raid
Get our daily fine wine reviews, latest wine ratings, news and travel guides delivered straight to your inbox.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Police investigating drug dealing in Tuscany have arrested several winery workers in Montalcino, the town that has given its name to Italy’s famous Brunello di Montalcino wines.
Officers raided properties this week in an operation known as ‘Montalcino Express’, according to a statement issued by the Siena branch of Tuscany’s Carabinieri police and posted on the blog of Italian wine journalist Franco Ziliani.
Several kilos of drugs, including cocaine, were seized during raids in and around the hilltop commune town in southern Tuscany.
The operation follows several months of investigation and was co-ordinated by Siena’s chief prosecuting officer, police said.
It is thought the suspected dealers were making 20,000 euros per month from illegal drugs sales to party-goers and local business people. The drugs were smuggled into the area from Rome and Milan.
Of the eight people arrested, police described three as winery workers and a fourth as a winery administrator.
However, there was no suggestion that the wineries themselves were directly involved in dealing drugs. No names were given.
Get our daily fine wine reviews, latest wine ratings, news and travel guides delivered straight to your inbox.
It has been a busy few months for police in the area. Last September, officers said they had seized enough fake Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines to fill more than 200,000 bottles as part of an investigation into a fraud operation.
Related Content:
- Italian police uncover Brunello di Montalcino scam
- Brunello di Montalcino producers to sue over fake wine
Written by Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.
He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.
Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.
Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.