Married couple and adult son investigated after police seize drugs, cash and hundreds of ready-to-sell cannabis doses in Guardamar del Segura
A family-run shop selling CBD products in Guardamar del Segura was allegedly being used as a front for a cannabis distribution network, according to the Guardia Civil.
In Operation Senzu, officers investigated two men and one woman aged between 21 and 52, all from the same family, over their alleged role in a drugs operation disguised as a legal cannabidiol business.
The three suspects — a married couple and their adult son — are being investigated for an alleged offence against public health linked to drug trafficking, as well as alleged membership of a criminal group.
The investigation began in December, after officers detected a sharp rise in cannabis use and possession in Guardamar del Segura. Faced with growing concern, the Guardia Civil launched a targeted operation to trace the source of the substances.
Investigators soon identified the suspected hub of the operation: a specialist CBD store in the town. According to the Guardia Civil, the family behind the business had created a legal-looking set-up designed to dodge the controls normally applied to this type of shop.
Officers say there was a constant stream of customers entering the premises to buy cannabis buds and resin, sold as if they were natural and lawful products.
But police say the alleged scam went even further.
Not only were illegal narcotic substances allegedly being fed into what appeared to be a regulated retail channel, but customers were also said to have been given a false sense of safety — believing they were buying harmless products when, in fact, some contained psychoactive compounds capable of altering perception and affecting mental health.
According to investigators, the operation was boosted by an aggressive digital strategy using videos, advertising campaigns and social media, all aimed at portraying consumption as “safe” and “natural”.
The Guardia Civil says that marketing drive significantly increased sales, generated substantial profits and helped cement the alleged fraud.
On 16 March, after gathering evidence of the suspects’ alleged involvement, officers carried out an inspection at the premises.
Inside the shop, they seized:
- 6.55 kilos of marijuana buds
- 815 grams of cannabis resin
- 128 marijuana-filled cigarettes
- More than €500 in cash
The operation also led to the removal from the illegal market of 6,815 doses prepared for sale, police said.
Officers also issued a number of administrative complaints after allegedly finding the shop lacked an opening licence and the required documentation to carry out commercial activity. The premises was then sealed as a precautionary measure.
A preliminary analysis of the substances seized confirmed the presence of cannabis derivatives, as well as other compounds banned in Spain because of their psychoactive effects and the risks they may pose to mental health, according to the Guardia Civil.
The case file and seized items have now been passed to the relevant judicial authority.
