Officers from the National Police and the Guardia Civil have arrested six people, three men and three women aged between 32 and 41, following a major investigation into drug trafficking. The operation successfully dismantled a network dedicated to the indoor cultivation of marijuana, with plantations spread across the municipalities of l’Alqueria d’Asnar, Cocentaina and Alcoi in the Alicante province.
The joint operation was carried out in three distinct phases and resulted in 21 searches and the dismantling of six indoor plantations. During the raids, officers seized 1,121 marijuana plants, over five kilograms of marijuana buds, and 270 grams of hashish. Additionally, authorities uncovered an array of weapons, including air rifles, 44 metal cartridges of .22 calibre, and dozens of prohibited items such as knuckledusters, sword sticks, daggers, and taser-style pistols.
The investigation began in late February when the Alcoi Police Station and the Guardia Civil’s Roca Team in Ibi received information regarding Spanish nationals in Alcoi allegedly linked to intensive marijuana cultivation. After weeks of discreet surveillance and data analysis, the police moved forward with the enforcement phases.
In the first phase, officers raided two properties in the town of l’Alqueria d’Asnar. This led to the seizure of 540 plants and 240 grams of hashish, resulting in the arrest of a Spanish husband and wife.
The second phase, conducted in mid-March, involved more than 50 officers and focused on several abandoned buildings in the centre of Alcoi which had been declared ruinous by the local town hall. This complex operation required 18 separate entries to locate the hidden plantations. Officers seized 581 plants, five kilograms of buds, and a significant haul of weapons and ammunition. The sophisticated cultivation systems found in these buildings were powered by illegal connections to the electricity grid.
The final phase took place in early April in a rural area of Cocentaina known as l’Alqueria de Benifloret. At a country house in the area, a woman was arrested after police discovered 127 grams of marijuana, various cultivation tools, and another illegal electricity connection. All specialised equipment seized during the operation has since been destroyed or rendered useless, and authorities have stated that the investigation remains open, with further arrests not ruled out.