Six people have been arrested as the Civil Guard dismantled five marijuana cultivation sites found on properties across multiple municipalities in Alicante province, specifically in the l’Alcoià and Alto y Medio Vinalopó regions. Officers reported the seizure of 1,685 marijuana plants, 503 grams of cannabis buds, 2,835 euros in cash, devices used for weighing and growing the drug, several telecommunications devices, two firearms, and ammunition.
In mid-July, the Civil Guard launched an operation after receiving information about a criminal gang involved in cannabis production and export to European countries, including Poland. The organization operates in several municipalities within Alicante. The Villena Armed Institute main station initiated operation “Mishpat” to identify and apprehend members of this network.
Phase one of the operation succeeded in locating the groups’ activity across Banyeres, Biar, Elda, and Villena. This progress was achieved through surveillance and other investigative activities carried out by service patrols, which identified various members of the organization, including a Polish national responsible for distributing the drug in Europe, with emphasis on the country of origin. The investigation also noted that some individuals had prior drug-related criminal records, and two leaders were Spanish nationals.
On October 3, after collecting evidence indicating marijuana fields in private homes, ten simultaneous raids were carried out. Given the operation’s scale, agents from Madrid’s Reserve and Security Groups No. 1 (GRS), Valencia’s GRS No. 3, Alicante’s Citizen Security Unit (USECIC), Villena’s Regional Judicial Police Team (ETPJ), and the support of other units participated, along with members of the Ibi Corporation and the Cynological Service.
Plot where the group grows plants outdoors. INFORMATION
During the raids, six men aged between 25 and 40 were detained; all were Spanish except for one Polish national. The seizure included 1,685 marijuana plants, 503 kilograms of cannabis buds prepared for distribution, 2,835 euros in various denominations, two short firearms with ammunition, telecommunications devices, scales, and cultivation tools.
Criminal charges were brought against the detainees based on their level of participation including drug trafficking, membership in a criminal organization, money laundering, electricity fraud, and illegal possession of weapons. They were subsequently placed in the Villena Educational Court’s custody, with five individuals — including the leaders — remanded in jail. The actions were part of a nationwide operation named Miller, aimed at developing a police response plan against illegal cannabis cultivation and trafficking and highlighting its benefits.
Following the arrest of one of the leaders, it was confirmed that he was detained in Villena. The arrest came after a separate judicial request from the Instruction Court No. 1 of Villena for other criminal acts unrelated to the cannabis investigation, and also related to the crime of fraud using the “SIM swapping” method, which occurred in Llíria (Valencia) in 2022, resulting in a fraud of 53,889 euros.