The Guardia Civil has taken down a cannabis farm in Elda and detained a 41-year-old man for crimes against public health that have to do with growing and selling drugs and stealing electricity. The operation is part of continuous attempts to stop the growing and selling of drugs.
The investigation started when police from the Guardia Civil station in Callosa d’en Sarrià stopped a car during an operation. They found 812 cannabis plants in several crates inside. After finding the drugs, the police arrested the driver, took the car, and started looking into where the drugs came from and where they were going.
More than 800 cannabis plants were found in a stopped vehicle.
The first investigation took officers to a house in the town of Elda. The place looked like a gardening firm, but it was really a place where cannabis was grown in large amounts.
The examinations showed that the structure could hold between 1,500 and 2,000 plants. Facilities like these usually use certain technical techniques to speed their growth and make more drugs.
After making progress in the investigation, the agents searched the property with the help of officers from the Alicante Command’s Citizen Security Unit and the Elda Local Police.
A warehouse set up for growing a lot of marijuana
During the search, the police found an indoor grow operation with 89 marijuana plants at different stages of growth. They also recovered 12.7 kilograms of marijuana that was ready to be sold.
Authorities also took precision scales, tools for weighing, storing, and distributing drugs, and papers with notes about buyers who were growing and using marijuana. They also took €390 in cash and two air guns from the scene.
The facility had artificial lighting, ventilation systems, and odour filters to make growing easier. It also featured video security cameras on the outside to keep an eye on the area.
Connecting to the power grid without permission
Technicians from the power company found out that the building was connected to the grid in an unauthorised way. The facility was using electricity to run all of the growing system’s systems without a contract.
The checks show that the electrical fraud may have been going on since at least 2023.
The detainee was given to the Court of Instruction number 1 in Villajoyosa, which ordered his release with the condition that he follow certain rules while the case is still going on.
