Italian Police Seize Cocaine From Set of ‘The Equalizer 3’ After Head Caterer Dies of Heart Attack

Police in Maiori, Italy have seized over 100 grams of cocaine from caterers for the upcoming Denzel Washington movie The Equalizer 3, Variety reports.

Per Italian newspaper Il Giornale, Carabinieri cops raided the hotel rooms of the crew for the action film after the head of catering for the production died of a heart attack on Monday. The search was prompted after several packages of cocaine were found on the man’s person.

The subsequent raid saw the seizure of 120 grams of cocaine, and two further caterers arrested on alleged drug dealing charges. A third member of the catering team, meanwhile, had his driver’s license revoked when he was found to be in possession of a small amount of cocaine. It’s unclear if the incident will impact the production of the movie.

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.

Plot details for the film remain under wraps, but Italian actress Gaia Scodellaro has also been confirmed to star. The Equalizer 3 marks Washington’s first major on-screen role since Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, which earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the Academy Awards earlier this year.