The Guardia Civil has dismantled an alleged family-run criminal gang accused of operating a network of industrial-scale cannabis farms in San Javier and distributing marijuana across the Mar Menor.
Operation Grenguip culminated in five simultaneous raids on homes and garages in Santiago de la Ribera, where officers uncovered five sophisticated indoor plantations containing 1,550 cannabis plants in the final stages of cultivation.
Around 50 officers took part in the operation, seizing large quantities of cash, cultivation and processing equipment, ammunition and a hunting shotgun that had previously been reported stolen.
The investigation began earlier this year following suspicions of large-scale marijuana production and illegal connections to the electricity network. Surveillance reportedly revealed that several homes and nearby bank-owned properties had been taken over and converted into indoor cannabis farms.
The plantations were equipped with extensive lighting, heating, irrigation and ventilation systems. Investigators said every property involved had been illegally connected to the electricity supply, causing significant financial losses and disruption to the local network.
The Guardia Civil said the organisation cultivated, dried, stored and prepared cannabis for distribution to dealers and users throughout the Mar Menor area.
Eight alleged members of the group were ultimately arrested on suspicion of belonging to a criminal organisation, cultivating and producing drugs, electricity theft and illegal weapons possession.
The police statement initially referred to five detainees but later said eight people had been arrested during the completed operation.
