Elche national police dismantled a major drug operation, detaining six individuals and seizing more than 6,000 marijuana plants. Investigators also uncovered a large stock of cultivation equipment inside an industrial warehouse in Algorfa Crevillent, where plans for an additional indoor grow were found. The operation was led by two individuals, with the principal suspect in Xàbia identified as Chinese. Other detainees included another person of Chinese origin, a Colombian man, a Panamanian person, and a Spanish woman.
Six arrests were recorded across Xàbia, Benidorm, Torrevieja, Finestrat, Orihuela, and Elche. In Elche, three Chinese nationals were presented at the guard court under the jurisdiction of the local prosecutor. Two ringleaders received prison sentences, while the third was released, and the remaining three detainees were also released after processing.
The investigation by the Elche Narcotics Group began in December 2022 after authorities detected anomalous electricity usage at a warehouse on an industrial site in Elche. On-site inquiries confirmed the existence of a substantial indoor marijuana cultivation operation located inside the suspected warehouse, which had recently been dismantled.
transfer
Later in the inquiry, authorities learned that the criminal network had shifted some activities to other locations. Two additional warehouses in Crevillent and Algorfa came under scrutiny as investigators expanded the case. The team established that the group used high-capacity rental vehicles to move drugs across multiple sites within the Alicante province, facilitating frequent transfers of crops and supplies.
In the ensuing phases of the operation, police uncovered how the organization managed logistics and custody roles. The leadership directed the crew, while other members handled transport and on-site maintenance of the plantations. Investigators noted that the electricity bills for the involved industrial facilities were unusually low, a detail consistent with illegal power connections used to sustain closed indoor grows.
Information from the inquiry showed that some suspects oversaw logistics and vehicle charters, others supervised on-site activity, and the ringleaders made strategic decisions. The electricity anomaly further confirmed the illicit nature of the warehouses used for cultivation, where seedbeds, irrigation, and climate-control equipment operated at scale to sustain large plantations.
three records
Authorities conducted searches at a residence in Xàbia and two warehouses with a total area exceeding 1,100 square meters in Crevillent and Algorfa. The Algorfa facility alone housed about 6,106 marijuana plants at various growth stages. During these operations, investigators seized 11,265 euros and 735 pounds in cash, three high-end vehicles, and a large assortment of cultivation tools such as fans, heating and cooling devices, lighting fixtures, and related equipment used for large-scale crops.
Police notes suggest that such large plantations have become less common in recent years. Criminal groups reportedly prefer smaller, more dispersed indoor grows to reduce visible activity and the risk of detection during transfers. This case illustrates a deliberate effort to maintain covert operations while expanding reach across multiple sites, a tactic that ultimately led to the substantial disruption of the network.
In summarizing the wider implications, authorities emphasized the need for ongoing vigilance against organized crime that exploits warehouse space and energy infrastructure for illegal cultivation. Local and national agencies continue to monitor similar environments to prevent further growth and to dismantle networks that rely on rapid mobility and centralized leadership for operation and control. At the core of the investigation was the pattern of large, energy-intensive grows concealed within ordinary industrial settings, a practice increasingly challenged by coordinated law enforcement actions and advanced investigative methods. For readers in North America, the case offers a clear reminder of how illicit crop operations can leverage commercial spaces and utility systems, and why cross-jurisdictional collaboration matters for effective enforcement.