In Milena, a criminal organisation that possessed over 800 marijuana plants has been dismantled

In Millena (Alicante), an international criminal organisation that specialised in the intensive cultivation and subsequent sale of marijuana has been effectively dismantled by agents from the National Police and Civil Guard as part of the joint operation CoqVerT. The investigation led to the arrest of four individuals and the confiscation of 800 marijuana plants.

In October 2024, the Judicial Police Brigade of the Alcoi Police Station initiated an investigation into this case after detecting “substantial fraudulent electricity consumption” in an isolated country home in Millena. During the same period, the Ibi Civil Guard’s Countryside Robbery Team (ROCA) was conducting an investigation into a group of citizens who were suspected of being associated with a criminal organisation that specialised in marijuana cultivation, as stated by the Police Headquarters in a statement. Consequently, the two incidents may have been linked as a result of the collaboration between the Ministry of the Interior’s Intelligence Centre against Terrorism and Organised Crime (CITCO) and both police forces. A joint investigation team was established to confirm the criminal activity in light of this information.

The plantation was situated within a property that was rented for €18,000 per year in cash, with payment made in two semiannual installments, according to the evidence. It was found that those involved maintained constant security measures and travelled frequently between Spain and several European countries, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France, which made police tracking difficult.

Over the course of a four-month investigation, there was a direct connection between individuals of Albanian and Dutch descent. Some of these individuals had criminal records and pending prison sentences in Europe for public health offences. Therefore, on February 19, the exploitation phase of the operation was conducted, with the Torrevieja Citizen Security Unit (USECIC) providing assistance in the break-in and security of the residence. This phase was conducted by National Police and Civil Guard officers.

Three vehicles, 800 marijuana plants, and a variety of cannabis cultivation and processing-related objects were confiscated during the search. In an effort to escape, the two primary suspects toppled a plasterboard wall and fled through the adjacent terraces during the raid. Nevertheless, the police cordon, which was bolstered by a drone, enabled them to be intercepted despite their “significant resistance.” Consequently, two additional arrests were made: one at the police headquarters in Alcoi and the other in the vicinity of the plantation.

Two Albanian detainees, both 25 years old, and two others, a male and a woman, both 25 and 29, were brought before a court. The court ordered the two Albanian citizens to be imprisoned, while the two Dutch citizens were released on bail.

They are charged with narcotic trafficking, electricity fraud, resistance and disobedience, assaulting law enforcement officers, and belonging to a criminal organisation, depending on the extent of their involvement. The case has been transferred to the Investigative Court No. 2 of the Judicial District. The investigation is ongoing, and it is not impossible for additional arrests to occur.