Share

Italy prop Panico arrested for alleged drug trafficking

Milan - Italy international Sami Panico has been arrested for alleged "possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking," according to Italian press reports on Sunday.

Gazzetta Dello Sport reported that Italian police seized 1.5kg of marijuana, 330 grams of hashish and 10 000 cash stashed in the garden of the 25-year-old's house at Torvajanica, south of Rome.

Prop Panico, 25, plays for Italian club Zebre Rugby and has 10 caps for the Italian national side, the most recent against Scotland in March 2017 in the Six Nations.

According to the police, this sum of money discovered "comes from illegal activities", writes La Gazzetta.

Panico was placed under house arrest pending further proceedings.

The player is still under contract with Zebre Rugby, one of the two Italian franchises playing in PRO14, but he was dropped a year ago after breaking the jaw of one of his team-mates, in a training ground bust up.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE