Maida: Two arrested for illegal stone extraction from Amato River

Two individuals have been arrested in Maida, Calabria, for the illegal extraction of stone material from the bed of the Amato River. The operation, conducted by the Carabinieri Forestale and the NIPAAF, took place in the Balzano locality, an area subject to landscape constraints.

Authorities reported that the unauthorized activities not only involved the theft of inert materials but also caused a dangerous artificial diversion of the river's natural flow. During the intervention, two pieces of heavy machinery used in the illegal works were seized. The Lamezia Terme Court has validated the arrests and ordered proceedings under the summary trial procedure (rito direttissimo).