The National Police have arrested nine members of a criminal cell, one of them is a juvenile, for allegedly engaging in large-scale marijuana cultivation. Officers have removed a network of eight marijuana crops scattered over several municipalities in the province of Alicante: five in Elda and three in Petrer, Novelda, and Aspe. In total, 2,270 marijuana plants were seized.
Those arrested have been accused with drug trafficking, electricity fraud, and belonging to a criminal organisation. The First Organised Crime Group of the Alicante Drug and Organised Crime Unit (Udyco) led the investigation, according to a police statement.
The operation began after it became aware of the potential existence of a criminal network located in the province of Alicante, where it was reportedly engaged in large marijuana production using hydroponic crops put in buildings adapted for that purpose and then moved to other locations.
As the inquiry advanced, it was discovered that the suspected criminal organisation had at least nine individuals and possessed “a large and robust infrastructure for hydroponic marijuana cultivation,” as well as “other locations for processing and storing the substance.” Officers found 14 spots in several municipalities around the province, including Elda, Petrer, Novelda, and Aspe.
Furthermore, the police found that the group members “would have locations specifically designated for the secure storage of the narcotic substance, already processed into buds and ready for sale or distribution,” also known as a drug depot.
“Perfectly” Structured Framework
According to the National Police, the inquiry found that this network “was perfectly structured in terms of levels of responsibility.” Specifically, the three main suspects were accused of collecting marijuana growing supplies such as fertilisers, chemicals, seed germinators, and cuttings from organisations that only supplied marijuana growing products.
This entire logistical infrastructure was allegedly supplied with energy through meter manipulation and other sorts of power fraud, posing a threat to the area’s population from the electrical behemoth required to operate such large farms.
Regarding the defendants’ mode of operation, the National Police emphasised “the counter-surveillance measures they used when travelling by vehicle from one place to another.” Thus, they allegedly “always” employed one car as a shuttle and others as transport, in order to “provide greater security for the transport of the drugs and their delivery to the client,” which was normally done in a remote location.
Based on this information, the operation took place, resulting in eight raids and searches: five in Elda, one in Petrer, one in Novelda, and one in Aspe. The operation resulted in the arrest of nine individuals, one of whom was a kid, as well as the seizure of 2,270 marijuana plants in various stages of growth and blooming, buds and cut leaves, and €1,800 in cash.
The arrests and searches revealed “the organization’s great production potential and the complex distribution of the dismantled plantations,” according to the National Police.
The organisation allegedly used one of the premises as a cuttings production centre, selecting the “highest quality” plants in a dedicated room with 25 mother plants under direct illumination from high-intensity bulbs and air extraction systems.
The police agency further stated that “such was the network’s production process” that it was predicted that these “high-potential” hydroponic crops, under an artificial climate perfect for development and flowering, could produce between 50 and 100 kilogrammes of marijuana buds every two or three months.
According to police, drug trafficking revenues were reinvested to expand the illegal operation. They reportedly looked for “new locations” to plant other crops, which they allegedly outfitted with electrical equipment and other essential gadgets “that could reach a value close to 100,000 euros.”
Following the police investigation, the four major suspects appeared before the Elda Investigative Court. The Alicante Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office was also made aware of the proceedings because one of the suspects is a child.
Author: Derek Appleton
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