Police in Maiori, Italy have seized over 100 grams of cocaine from caterers for the upcoming Denzel Washington movie The Equalizer 3, Variety reports.
Italian paramilitary police raided hotel rooms used by employees of a catering company on "The Equalizer 3" set on the Amalfi coast and arrested two caterers after seizing more than 100 grams of cocaine on Tuesday, according to local media.
Packets of Cocaine Found on Head Caterer Who Died of Heart Attack
Local news outlet Il Giornale reported that Carabinieri cops broke into hotel rooms in the seaside resort of Maiori used by the "Equalizer 3" caterers after the head of the film's catering service suddenly died of a heart attack on Monday evening.
Several small packages of cocaine were subsequently found in the man's clothing, raising suspicions that there could be more drugs on the production's premises.
The subsequent raid yielded 120 grams of cocaine and led to two other members of the film's catering vendor being placed under house arrest in the hotel on alleged drug dealing charges. A third employee of the catering company was found in possession of a small amount of cocaine and had his drivers' license pulled.
In addition to the hotel, police searched an area of Maiori's small port where production of the film has set up camp, the newspaper reported.
Will the Film's Production be Affected?
The Equalizer 3, which is the fifth collaboration between director Antoine Fuqua and Washington, kicked off principal photography last month on the Amalfi Coast. Filming is expected to continue until later this month, with production to move to Naples in December, and Rome in January, 2023. Washington will be joined in the third entry by series newcomer Dakota Fanning, who he also starred with in the Tony Scott-directed action thriller Man on Fire in 2004.
The film is currently in its fourth week of shooting in the Amalfi coast area with Maite Bulgari's local outfit Garbo Produzioni handling the film's physical production service. It's unclear if the incident will impact the production of the movie. A representative for Garbo Produzioni on Wednesday said the company had no comment.
