In San Javier, Murcia, the Guardia Civil conducted operation Macetos, dismantling a criminal group of five members involved in the large-scale cultivation and distribution of cannabis across Murcia and the Alicante province. This information comes from an official Guardia Civil press release.
During the operation, authorities dismantled two indoor greenhouses installed in rented residences. Investigators located more than 1,500 cannabis plants at the cultivation stage and 40 kilograms of cannabis in bud form, along with four long guns and two passenger vehicles. All tools and equipment used for growing the drug were seized as part of the seizure.
The actions began last March, when public safety officers opened the investigation to verify tips related to illicit marijuana production in San Javier.
The initial steps enabled officers to identify two dwellings in the town that appeared to house the respective greenhouses for mass production of cannabis.
Surveillance of the properties guided investigators to focus on several individuals based in the city of Murcia and the southern Alicante area who allegedly used the two houses solely for large-scale cultivation and subsequent processing of the drug.
Once sufficient evidence was gathered, the Guardia Civil carried out the exploitation phase of the operation with about fifty officers. Entrance and searches of the residences used for the illicit activity were conducted simultaneously, following judicial authorization.
In the properties, two indoor greenhouses were dismantled, each in the cultivation phase and equipped with sophisticated lighting, heating, irrigation, and ventilation systems. The operations also recovered 40 kilograms of cannabis in buds, two cars, and four long guns that the criminal group reportedly kept to deter rivals or opportunistic thieves.
During the investigation, it was noted that the gang implemented notable security measures, not only through the weapons seized but also via a complex network of surveillance cameras and secure access points guarding the facilities.
While the searches were underway, most group members were detained, though some attempted to flee through neighboring plots, leaping over walls. A drone unit and ground patrols surrounded the area, preventing escapes.
The five members have been detained as alleged perpetrators of belonging to a criminal organization, cultivation and manufacture of drugs, illegal possession of firearms, and electricity fraud, detected after it was confirmed that the houses hosting the greenhouses had illicit connections to the electrical grid.
From the information gathered during the ongoing operation, the Guardia Civil confirmed that the cannabis produced mass in the facilities was destined for distribution in the Region of Murcia and in the Alicante province, with the operation still active and open to potential further arrests.