Italian police seize cocaine from ‘The Equalizer 3’ catering team following death of staff member
A caterer working on the set of Denzel Washington film The Equalizer 3 has been found dead. Two other crew members have been arrested following the seizure of cocaine from staff hotel rooms Italian police report.
The police raid took place on Tuesday at a hotel on the Amalfi Coast where the catering crew for the third film of the Denzel Washington franchise is boarding. The picturesque Italian coastline is one of the project’s most prolific shooting sites.
The raids on hotel rooms came after the head caterer, identified as MB, was found dead following a sudden heart attack while leaving an All Saints’ Day event at 9pm local time. It was reported that he collapsed with his face hitting the ground. According to the Italian outlet Il Giornale, he had already gone into cardiac arrest by the time the first medical staff arrived on the scene.
MB was rushed to the hospital with paramedics by his side, but sadly he didn’t survive the journey. The 55-year-old’s wife witnessed the incident and revealed to the police that he had been living with heart disease for some time.
Following MB’s death, cocaine was found in MB’s pocket, triggering a rigorous search of his fellow crew members’ hotel rooms in Maiori. Sources affirmed to Fox News Digital that the raid was “regarding a catering vendor, not the movie or crew.”
After searching the rooms, police reportedly recovered 120 grams of cocaine, leading to the arrest of two Roman caterers. The men, both in their 30s, were subjected to house arrest at the scene. A third man was also caught with a smaller quantity of cocaine and was forced to surrender his license.
The alleged illegal activity did not occur on the set of The Equalizer 3, as far as the police are aware. As the catering workers operated under an independent contractor, it is currently being treated as a separate case. Hence, the production will not be postponed as a result of the incident.
Production for The Equalizer 3 began last month. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua and also stars Dakota Fanning, who previously worked alongside Washington in 2004’s Man on Fire.
The Equalizer 3 is expected to premiere on September 1st, 2023.
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