An anonymous email to a citizen collaboration account enabled investigators to uncover and dismantle two cannabis growing operations within Altea. The operation led to arrests tied to a luxury district and seven other suspects.
The Civil Guard received an anonymous tip last January about marijuana cultivation inside homes in the municipality of Altea. With this information, officers from the Altea Main Police Station began a thorough inquiry to verify the claims.
Investigators located plantations in two upscale Altea housing developments and identified members of the network, including three Romanian men and two Spanish men, alongside two Spanish women. The group ranged in age from 21 to 42 and included individuals with prior police records for other offenses.
The head of the criminal group and another person under investigation were involved in hotel management in Altea, while other members aided with logistics, security, and the upkeep of the cultivation sites.
One suspected smuggler reportedly managed a sophisticated security camera system, and a pack of six dogs trained for protection heightened the security around the sites.
The Civil Guard executed the operation on April 25, coordinating two simultaneous searches in residences and a hotel business. The action received support from local residents and authorities, including the Alicante Citizen Security Unit USECIC and Altea Local Police, with support from a trained canine unit led by a K9 officer nicknamed “Oso.”
During searches, officers seized 312 cutting tools, 216 cannabis plants, 9.54 kilograms of cannabis buds, 13,650 euros in cash, multiple computer devices, four vehicles, and materials used for the cultivation process.
Investigations indicated the landlords altered room arrangements without owner authorization to expand and optimize production, resulting in an estimated economic loss of 36,906 euros due to illegal electrical connections.
The detainees were handed over to the Benidorm Education Court No. 2, which decided to grant provisional freedom with certain precautionary measures for all involved.