Italian Carabinieri seize cocaine processing lab in San Luca

Carabinieri from the Bianco Company and the Helicopter Cacciatori "Calabria" unit carried out an early‑morning territorial control operation in the municipality of San Luca, Aspromonte, on 18 July 2026. They discovered an isolated ruin that had been converted into a fully equipped cocaine processing facility. Seized equipment included microwave ovens used for drying, hydraulic presses showing clear cocaine traces, precision balances, cutting agents and packaging material. The seized laboratory was described as a functional infrastructure rather than a simple hideout, illustrating an organized drug‑manufacturing operation hidden in the rugged interior of the Reggio Calabria province. Technical analysis was performed by the Provincial Carabinieri’s Investigative Nucleus, and the bust adds another element to the ongoing anti‑drug campaign in Calabria.