The nine detainees and 147 individuals were investigated, most of them of Hispanic origin, according to the armed institute. Details released this Saturday followed the lifting of judicial secrecy. The operation, associated with disassembly efforts in Almería, Granada and Valencia, targeted the production, distribution and sale of cannabis derivatives that were sold under the appearance of legal confectionery.
Sources close to the anti-drug operation reported that the buds had a very high concentration of THC, a toxic component. The network marketed its products in appealing packaging that made them look like chewing gum from the outside. Inside the packaging were pressed cannabis buds, sold in doses of one, five and up to twenty grams.
Consumers could easily recognize the packaging, which lacked any famous brand and carried only a simple label reading gum. In the laboratory, investigators say, the products were given flavorings to mimic real tastes associated with the name, including strawberry, pie, vanilla, and ice cream, expanding to a complete set of twelve flavors.
Civil security authorities seized two tons of marijuana, more than 100 cannabis plants, five kilos of resin from poppy, twelve needles, two vehicles and twenty thousand euros in cash. Agents blocked an organized crime group’s bank account and recovered an additional fifty-one thousand euros during the police operation.
The Civil Guard captured two tons of buds like this in operation Kaugumi. GC
Although the operation unfolded primarily across three provinces, the Civil Guard carried out two hundred forty-four inspections of cannabinoid stores nationwide, revealing a broad investigation that encompassed many individuals connected to Operation Kaugumi.
headquarters in Grenada
Investigators traced a single candy found in Almería to a Granada-based company that centralized the production and distribution of the disguised drug.
The company sits in a business park on the city outskirts. At reception, workers greeted visitors in a polished, professional manner. A tasting room on the ground floor allowed prospective distributors to sample the products. Up on a higher floor, the network maintained a full administrative framework with data from hundreds of outlets.
Some production pieces were sold online as Cannabis flowers, described as ornamental flowers. The seeds originated from cultivation techniques that raised the drug’s active ingredient THC to very high levels. Reports from the armed institute indicate that these products were marketed to an unspecified number of children.
Authorities had to reverse engineer the distribution routes used by the network. Gum products appeared in hemp stores meant for human consumption and in outlets that sold dietary and sports supplements. Local grow shops, tobacconists and even gas stations carried the items.
In the latter venues, the buds were sometimes presented as ornamental items in sports nutrition stores, breeding centers, tobacconists and even gas stations.
The operation was coordinated by the Almería State Prosecutor’s Office and the Berja Court of First Instance and Instruction No. Coordinated by 2.