The Guardia Civil in the Region of Murcia and Cartagena Local Police have dismantled a clandestine marijuana greenhouse inside a warehouse in La Aljorra, Cartagena, as part of Operation Lembe.
One man has been arrested on suspicion of offences against public health for the cultivation and production of narcotics, as well as electricity fraud.
During the operation, officers seized 336 cannabis sativa plants, 41 halogen lamps, nine air-conditioning units and other equipment used for indoor cultivation.
The investigation began under the Guardia Civil’s drug prevention plan, after officers from the Cartagena investigation team started looking into a suspected marijuana growing site.
Information shared with Cartagena Local Police proved key. Both the Guardia Civil and the GOESC unit of the Local Police had identified a warehouse in the centre of La Aljorra that was allegedly giving off a strong smell of cannabis.
After gathering evidence and checking electricity use in the area, investigators found unusually high power consumption that had not been registered by the electricity supplier.
Police surveillance later detected industrial machinery operating continuously, day and night. The findings were reported to the judicial authority, which authorised a search of the premises.
Inside the first floor of the warehouse, officers found ventilation systems and machinery. In the basement, hidden behind an armoured door, they discovered the cannabis plantation.
The illegal grow was located only a short distance from homes, the local health centre and the commercial area of La Aljorra.
