They had gone to look for drugs but instead found a prized 'Nicolò Amati of 1675' violin stolen years ago in Japan.
This is the discovery made by the agents of the anti-drug section of the Parma mobile team.
In April 2019, the agents broke into the Parma home of a 48-year-old native of Reggio, with several drug records.
A violin, hidden under the bed, with labels in Japanese immediately attracted the attention of the police.
After months of searching, the agents tracked down a report of a 1675 Amati stolen in 2005 in Japan.
Subsequent findings and the expertise of the well-known Cremonese luthier Simeone Morassi showed that it was precisely the instrument found in Parma.
The 48-year-old is now under investigation for receiving stolen goods even though he is currently unavailable on the national territory.
