National Police and Customs Surveillance officers dismantled two marijuana plantations operating in homes in the Los Dolores neighbourhood of Cartagena during the previous week.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Officers found a 51-year-old man in the La Palma house who tried to stop them entering and had to be restrained.[1] The woman who owned both properties was also arrested over alleged involvement but was released on provisional liberty after giving a statement, and the proceedings were sent to Cartagena Investigating Court number 4.[1] A judge subsequently ordered the principal suspect remanded in provisional detention.[2][4][6][7]
The searches found two indoor plantations holding 438 marijuana plants weighing almost 172,000 grams, about 172 kg.[1] One of the houses was practically bunkerised, with high-security doors installed to protect the plantation.[5][7] At the La Palma property officers also found a Kalashnikov-type assault rifle with two magazines and a semi-automatic pistol with its magazine and cartridges.[1] Officers also seized a hand grenade, which was removed by TEDAX, the National Police explosives-disposal specialists.[1][2][4][5][6][7] Officers also seized a pellet shotgun with a telescopic sight, binoculars, a sword stick and an electric defence device.[2][4][5][6][7] Among the seized items were numerous cultivation devices, including fans, extractors, filters, transformers and lights.[1]
The investigation began after officers detected an increase in marijuana cultivation in private homes and possible illegal connections to the electricity network.[1] The joint investigation by the National Police in the Region of Murcia and Customs Surveillance officers ran for several months.[7] The inquiry focused on two properties on La Palma and San Leandro streets, both owned by a woman.[1] During surveillance officers detected a strong smell of marijuana and air-conditioning and ventilation equipment consistent with intensive cannabis cultivation.[1] The electricity company confirmed that neither home had a supply contract in force and that both had illegal connections to the network.[1] Both illegal electricity connections were tapped directly into the public lighting to power the cultivation equipment.[5][6][7] The National Police warned that such clandestine connections can cause overloads, fires and power cuts, putting the occupants of the houses and the residents of nearby homes at risk.[7] Investigators obtained judicial authorisation to search both homes, and the joint National Police and Customs Surveillance operation took place the previous Thursday.[1] The man was detained as the alleged perpetrator of public-health, illegal-weapons, explosives-possession and electricity-fraud offences.[1][2]
